Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C) February 9, 2025

February 9, 2025 1 By BLACKCATHOLIC

The following transcript of the homily is in the original formatting that was used for the sake of live delivery with all cues, emphasis, and notes included.

Transcript:

When Simon Peter saw this, he fells at the knees of Jesus and said, ‘Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man’ . . . Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid.'” Words from the Gospel According to Luke.

In the Name of the Father + the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

It is the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time,

– Still pretty early in the present liturgical season.

And it is February 9th.

– Still pretty early in the calendar year

And we are not too removed from that fresh start we all made with the new year.

Still remember any of those New Year’s resolutions?

If we are honest, some of our New Year’s resolutions might just be already broken.

– Maybe half tried at best? (You tell me.)

What were some of them?

Perhaps we had the plan to get more organized in our life?

– But maybe we have already missed a couple of deadlines.

Perhaps we wanted to loose some weight?

– But maybe we have gained a few more pounds for our trouble instead.

Perhaps we wanted to finally quit smoking?

-But maybe we have had a few puffs here and there.

When it comes to the list of resolutions, we filled in blanks,

but we haven’t checked it off the list.

Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next month.

Or, maybe we feel a little bit of our failures and say alone in our hearts:

– “When am I going to really get it all together?”

And here we are at Mass.

Perhaps as Christians we had some New Year’s resolutions in the spiritual life to bring changes to the issues we may have there as well?

Maybe the only time we pray is when we come to Sunday Mass,

and half the time we end up distracted.

Maybe we have loved ones we don’t feel all that loving towards

– some of the time,

– or most of the time.

– And then we read in the Bible that we are supposed be reconciled before coming to the altar.

Perhaps we have secret sins that only God knows that still bother us

– still shame us,

– still have us going to confession again & again & again & . . .

Maybe we have not been to confession in years because of it.

– Well, maybe we will finally go before Mass next week

– Maybe next Lent.

Or, maybe we feel like phonies and say alone in our hearts:

– “How could God really love, really use a sinner like me?”

Well, in terms of sinners,

today you are in the company of ones that became saints:

– Isaiah, Paul, and even Peter the first pope.

And as the scripture readings show us this morning:

– Their SIN was NOT their END.

And IT DOESN’T – HAVE – TO – BE – FOR – YOU, – EITHER.

Now – let’s get into the scripture.

In each of our three readings today

we see an interplay of three people who are called by God.

But – in each case – before they receive the call:

– (1) God shows His glory,

– (2) They stand in awe of that glory,

– (3) In the midst of seeing the God who is Holiness itself they recognize the reality of their own sinfulness and unworthiness.

And (4) God purifies and sends them off for the mission of their lifetimes.

In the first reading we see Isaiah immersed in a vision of God.

He beholds the blinding majesty of the Lord sitting on His throne

as God is being ministered to by countless seraphim.

HOLY! – HOLY! – HOLY!

– Isaiah becomes filled with the Lord’s GLORY!

The feeble door of his human understanding is shook as he stands in awe.

But Isaiah understands one thing in the midst of it:

“Woe, is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips,

yet my eyes have seen the king, Lord of host!”

In the face of He who is Holy,

Isaiah recognizes his own sinfulness and unworthiness.

And, in spite of this, God purifies him through the touch of an angel.

And Isaiah wants to do one thing after that: SERVE THE LORD.

And so the prophet says, “Here I am; send me,”

And so God does.

Then we move on to St. Paul in the second reading,

Who – after a life of persecuting the Church –

Saw the glory of the Lord flash before his eyes – and it blinds him.

He stood in awe as he heard Christ, – a man who had been killed, –

Demand from him the answer to the question,

“Why are you persecuting Me?”

Paul recognized in that moment

what he later emphasized in his letter to the Corinthians:

That he was a sinner and unworthy to be called an apostle.

Yet God would purify and raise him to the dignity of one who has been sent, Sent on an apostolic mission to preach the Gospel of “first importance”:

The gospel of Christ crucified and Christ risen again.

And at last we arrive to the waters of today’s Gospel reading.

We are in the boat with Simon Peter and others

as he beholds the same glory of Isaiah’s vision,

The same glory that would later blind Paul – manifested in the flesh.

Simon kneels in awe,

For he knows that the miraculous reason for the over-abundant catch of fish sinking his boat – is standing right in front of him.

Then all of the shame of his life wells up within him.

And so he cries out, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

Christ looks down at him,

And – perhaps with a smile – tells the first pope that

he would be catching something much bigger than fish.

Then Simon Peter brought his boat to shore,

and began to embark on his new mission.

Are the stories of these three great patriarchs of the faith not like our stories?

Do we sinners not have something in common with these saints?

Stories of lips made unclean by lies, gossip, and curses against our neighbor,

Stories of persecuting the Body of Christ through our sins and dissent against Jesus’s teachings coming from His Church.

Stories of working hard all night and feeling as if we are catching nothing with our faith.

AND YET – have we NOT also beheld the glory of God coming for us despite our sins?

Have we NOT beheld the glory of God when the Lord spoke to our broken and tired hearts in moments of tragedy and loss?

Have we NOT seen His light shine brightly in the midst of personal darkness when He sat on His throne in the confessional and forgave our sins again & again & again?

Have we NOT been brought to our knees when the glory of the Eucharistic Lord is on full display and is lifted up before our eyes above this very altar?

Have we NOT been in awe?

Have we NOT recognized our sin and need for God in our lives

AND STILL received the SAME mercy as Isaiah, – Peter, and Paul?

Does the fact that we are in the pews today at Mass NOT prove that we have also received a call to go out from God?

Our wounded hearts might be saying right now, “Depart from me.”

But, truly, I say to you, brothers & sisters, YOU WILL BE CATCHING GRACE.

God is the God of second chances, and you know this. You have felt this.

It is in our humility that God comes to us.

It is when we say, “Depart from me for I am sinful” that God says, “Come to me for I am merciful.”

For, God does not call the perfect; He perfects those who are called.

The world pressures you to make resolutions.

The Lord calls you to make revolution.

The world wants you for a year. The Lord desires you for eternity.

The world will forget you in this age.

The Lord will remember you in the ages of ages.

And the glory of the God of Isaiah, Peter, and Paul will come to us during Mass today, and that glory IS the Eucharist.

So, be caught up in awe of the Holy, and say, “Lord, I am not worthy.”

And when He is lifted up before your eyes at communion, say to Him,

“I am what I am, but HERE – I – AM. Sinful, broken, and afraid.”