What do St Peter's bursting nets reveal about dangers to the Church?
Christ’s command to “launch out into the deep” taught the Apostles—and the Church—that success in saving souls does not on human strength.
Christ’s command to “launch out into the deep” taught the Apostles—and the Church—that success in saving souls does not on human strength.
Editor’s Notes
In this part, Fr. Coleridge tells us…
How the broken nets shed light on the the history of the Church
That all evangelisation succeeds only by obedience and God’s power, not human effort.
Why Peter’s humility points to both his fear of unworthiness and his hidden faith.
Coleridge shows us that spiritual success should increase our fear of self, not our trust in self.
For more context on this section, and its place in the Gospel and the Liturgy, see the previous part.
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes
The Training of the Apostles, Part I
Chapter II
St. Luke v. 1—11
Story of the Gospels, § 37
Burns and Oates, London, 1884
How Christ turned Simon Peter's trade into a parable of Christian ministry
What do St Peter's bursting nets reveal about dangers to the Church?
Obedience of St. Peter
It mattered little to St. Peter that the last night had been so unfortunate, it mattered little that the best time for fishing was night, and not day, it mattered little whether the venture to which he was now invited might succeed or not.
‘At Thy word, nevertheless, I will let down the net!’
This was what he was told to do, without any promise that his fishing would be successful, but this was enough, even if the command of our Lord did not imply the promise. The faith and obedience of the fishermen were at once rewarded.
But great as must have been the benefit which they thus received, and their joy at this fresh evidence of their Master’s preternatural power and tender care for them, it seems hardly possible to linger long over the material boon, so full does the whole story become of evident spiritual meaning.
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