保土ヶ谷カトリック教会

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8
1Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5:1-11

Peter (later Saint Peter) was a professional fisherman. He knew that the best time to fish was at night. Fish were just not caught with the sun shining. Peter had fished all night and had not caught even one fish. He failed!

Jesus used Peter's boat as a floating pulpit. After his talk, Jesus says to Peter: "Row out into deep water and lower your nets to catch some fish." Peter knows daylight fishing is useless but he humbly follows the suggestion of Jesus, the carpenter. Jesus did not blame Peter for his failure, but encourages him. Peter went with Jesus and Peter was rewarded. He found new life and energy.

We all have failures in life - some are big, others small. For example: We want to be chosen (as a friend, for a team etc etc) but someone else is chose. We want our voice to be heard but someone else talks louder and is the center of attraction. We try our best but often we lose - we fail. Someone sits an exam, but fails despite trying hard. Someone in a marriage tries hard but fails. Some parents do their best for their children yet the child rejects everything. Often the parents feel a failure. Know that Jesus, our God, does not say: "It is your fault. You are to blame." Actually true failure is not falling down, but refusing to get up.

Peter failed. Jesus did not blame him saying "it's your fault." No! Jesus said "Peter get your oars out again and row into deep water" Jesus says the same to us today! No blame, just : "Let us start again together"

If we stop after a failure and pray we will find that behind every failure is a call from God. He calls us to start again and He says: "Fear not, because I am with you. Row out into the deep water again."

As the Japanese proverb says: "Failure is the source of success." Do not blame yourself for failure. Our kind God does not blames us. We can actually meet God himself (and his help and strength) after a failure. Try it.