Daily Readings - Sun Feb 06 2022
Isaiah
1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.5Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
1 Corinthians
3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.7After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.8And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.11Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Luke
1And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,2And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.3And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.4Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.5And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.6And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.7And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.9For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:10And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.11And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, 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.”