Daily Readings - Sun Feb 06 2022
Isaiah
1In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.3And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.5And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.7And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.8And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
1 Corinthians
3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Luke
1On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,2and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.3Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.4And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."5And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets."6And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.7They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."11And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Sermon
The readings today offer us a powerful reflection on the nature of God’s call and our response to it. In the first reading from Isaiah, we encounter the prophet’s dramatic vision in the temple. Overwhelmed by the majesty of God, Isaiah humbly acknowledges his own unworthiness, yet he is purified and empowered by God to accept the mission: “Here I am, send me.” This moment marks the beginning of Isaiah’s prophetic ministry, reminding us that God’s call often comes when we least expect it and that our response must be one of trust and surrender.
In the second reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds us of the core of our Christian faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection appearances, including the one to Paul himself, serve as a testament to the power of God’s love and the truth of the Gospel. Just as Isaiah was called to speak God’s word, we too are called to share the Good News with others, trusting in the transformative power of Christ’s resurrection.
The Gospel from Luke brings us to the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus calls Simon Peter and the other fishermen to follow him. Despite their initial doubts and feelings of unworthiness, they experience the miraculous catch of fish, which becomes a sign of God’s presence and power in their lives. Like Isaiah and Paul, they are transformed by their encounter with God and respond with faith, leaving everything behind to follow Jesus.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own response to God’s call. Like Isaiah, we may feel unworthy or unprepared, but God’s grace can purify and empower us. Like the disciples, we may have doubts or fears, but Jesus’ promise to make us “catchers of men” reminds us that our lives are not our own but are meant to be lived in service to others. Let us ask ourselves today: How am I responding to God’s call in my life? Am I willing to trust in His power and follow Him, even when it feels uncertain or challenging? May we, like Isaiah, Peter, and Paul, say with humility and faith, “Here I am, send me.”