HUMAN FRAGILITY
A CALL TO SURRENDER
XAVIER JAMES L.
INTRODUCTION
Human beings are fragile and weak but often it is forgotten that it is in fact a call to surrender to Christ and to bear witness to him. Jesus is the light who comes to our lives day unto day and night unto night. We are also given the freedom either to resist that or to accept that light. Jesus knew and experienced it well in his life through his rejection and death. It is natural to human beings to be attracted to what is evil but at the same time there is an inner call within us to holiness. As we are created in the image and likeness of God (Cf. Gen. 1:27), we are expected to be true to our calling and come to the light. Then we will be able to see our deeds, words and ourselves vividly. In doing so we may know God and others as well. Jesus came into this world that we may become children of light. Jesus in his conversation with Nicodemues, the Jewish elder, said,
“…The light has come into the world and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For, all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God”(Jn. 3:19-21).
Though our life is fragmented with evil, we still need to rise above our existence. Let us not forget the divinity within.
In this paper we shall see the call narrative from Luke 5:1-11. If we observe the call narratives we come to know that there is a sudden change in the lives of the people who are called. Vocation is a dialogue between God and the human. This is not a one day business but a life long journey. In this pericope the disciples listened to the preaching of Jesus and obeyed the command to go and fish in an unpropitious situation. Simon is overwhelmed with a sense of holiness and declares Jesus as the ‘Lord’. This confirms the fact that by coming to light or by coming close to Jesus one becomes aware of one’s fragility. That is what happens in the call narratives.
Generally the structure of the biblical call narratives is as follows:
1. Initiative of Jesus/God - (5:1-7).
2. Hesitation of the human person - (v 8).
3. Assurance by Jesus/God - (v 9).
4. Mission Mandate - (v10).
Having said this, let us now analyze the pericope of our study Lk: 1-11.
1. TEXTUAL CONTEXT
The gospel according to Luke was written to the gentile Christian community that remained faithful to God and the teaching of Jesus. This passage appears in the beginning of the Galilean ministry of Jesus. This pericope comes after the departure from Capernaum and Jesus’ travel through Judea in the proclamation of the kingdom of God. It comes before the cleansing of the leper. It is well structured. In chapter 4, Jesus is at Nazareth in the synagogue and reads his manifesto from the scroll of prophet Isaiah and interprets the passage. His own country people reject him. He goes to Capernaum where he heals a man with unclean spirit and many others who were tied up with various illnesses. If we observe, we can realize how Jesus comes closer to the humans by casting out the evil in them. Jesus goes to the lakeside and encounters some fishermen who would be his companions, and his ambassadors in proclaiming the kingdom of God. Thus he makes human persons share his mission. Further Jesus goes to touch the leper and heals. By touching the leper Jesus breaks down the barrier between himself as an ordinary member of the society and the unclean leper.[1] In this textual context Jesus is depicted as a God who comes down to our level to take us to his level. Our pericope is a call narrative with a dialogue between Jesus and Simon Peter alone. It is the form of an extended pronouncement story. It is parallel to John 21:3-8. This particular pericope begins with introduction of the characters, catch of fish, dialogue between Jesus and Peter and ends with the call to discipleship.
This call narrative encloses a miracle of catch of fish. Fish was one of the staples in the first century Palestine, where more fish was eaten than any other meat (Lk. 11:11, 24:42). It is mentioned that a thriving fishing industry flourished on the Sea of Galilee. Fish was eaten fresh, processed, salted and pickled. It was also exported. It is worth mentioning about the various types of nets were also used. The disciples used trammul nets.[2]
2. TEXT
2.1 THE INITIAL SCENE
Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret (5:1), south of Capernaum and north of Magdala in Galilee. The crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God (v1b).[3] Jesus saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets (v2).[4] When the fishermen were getting ready for the next day, something new to takes place. The holiness enters human. Jesus gets into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asks him to put out the boat a little away from the shore (v3a). He does this because this is the customary teaching of the Jewish Rabbis. Then Jesus sits down and taught the crowds from the boat (3b). The sitting posture is of the typical Jewish tradition. The Jewish Rabbis sat down and taught. This scene reminds us of the first creation story in Genesis. God creates the heaven and earth and the divine wind swept over the Water (Gen. 1:1). The new creation is by the word of Christ. Water is very significant. It is very deep, clean, and life giving. Jesus who taught the crowd uttered the words that are life-giving. They can create and recreate. They are deep in meaning and clean. It is a very symbolic teaching.
2.2 INITIATIVE OF JESUS
When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch”(v4). As usual Simon, who is with readymade answer throughout the Gospel, replied, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets”(v5). Fishermen are very simple and very industrious people who know their job diligently. They are fatigue and disappointed after the hard night. Jesus meets them in their hidden sadness. He understands and is moved to do something to those fishermen, who really fight with the nature for their survival. His love and concern for them moves him to do something. These simple fishermen neither questioned the knowledge of Jesus nor refused to obey. In this incidence the reality of the hopelessness of the whole nights struggle is revealed. One striking observation is that at night they could not get any thing. But during the day they encountered the light and they had a good catch of fish. It signifies an attitude of obedience, which is heightened by the fact that despite a fruitless and wearisome night’s fishing trip, Simon is prepared to lower the nets.[5] After hearing the word of God that gave hope to them in the earlier scene, they trust him. They might have realized the power hidden within the person of Jesus and the authenticity of his person. When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink (v6-7). Grundmann says, “Story can be exaggerated. The boat did not in fact sink”.[6] However it is not our concern but it is symbolic and is a fact.
Throughout the Bible we see God taking initiative in communicating his plan of salvation through individuals. The universal salvific will of God is communicated through some individuals to the community. In Genesis we see the call of Abraham (Gen. 12: 1-9), promising posterity, prosperity and property to his descendants. In his plan of liberation of the Hebrew people God chooses Moses (Ex. Chaps. 3-4) and sends him to free the oppressed people of Israel. After monarchy coming in Israel God calls Samuel to be the prophet to that nation (1Sam. 3: 1-14). Through a vision of God Isaiah was chosen (Is. 6: 1-13). God chooses Jeremaiah in mother’s womb, calls him and commissions him (Jer. 1: 4-10). During the annunciation God takes initiative to communicate his plan to Mary (Lk. 1:26-38) and to Zechariah (Lk. 1:5-25). Jesus also calls his disciples by himself (Mk. 1:16-20, Mt. 4: 18-22). All these fragile and insignificant people are called to share in the salvific plan. In our pericope fishermen had done nothing to merit Jesus’ call to them. They were not called because of their qualifications, character, potentials, and personality. God’s call is as unpredictable as it is unmerited. The call to discipleship did not come in a holy place, but in the midst of the fishermen’s daily work.
2.3 HESITATION OF PETER
When Simon Peter saw the catch of fish he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man!”(v8). Seeing the miraculous catch of fish and overcome with awe Peter could not stand but he prostrated so as to show his reverence. It is a hearty confession from the part of Peter.[7] Jesus touches the core of Peter’s being with his radical concern, that Peter could not but confess his true being. Peter’s awareness of himself heals him and makes him the eminent apostle of Christ. Before Jesus, Simon is conscious of his sinfulness, and therefore bids Jesus to go away. What Simon expressed was the sense of unworthiness just as the Centurion (Mt.8:8), Job (Job.42: 5-6) and the widow of Zarephath (1Kg. 17:18). Peter becomes aware of his inadequacy before the Holy one, even after being a successful fisherman from adulthood. Jesus does not, in fact, depart from the sinner but calls him into the close association of discipleship and new life. Luke alone has Peter’s confession of sinfulness or unworthiness unlike Matthew and Mark or even John in the post-resurrection narratives. This stresses that the apostolic community according to Luke is based on a gracious call or command of Jesus and not on the worthiness of the person. [8]As we are aware that Luke writes this gospel to the gentiles who are considered to be sinners, he portrays Jesus as coming down to fragile human beings regardless of their fragility and unworthiness. He wants the readers to know for sure that fragility is no impediment to following Jesus.
In the Bible we find several passages of confessions like that of Peter. When Moses was called, he gave several excuses in order to escape the call (Ex. Chaps 3-4). Just like Peter, he was aware of himself. Moses was conscious of his lack of importance/worthiness (Ex. 3:11-12), lack of authority and credibility (Ex. 3:13-21), lack of assurance of success or fear of rejection/failure (Ex. 4:1-9) and lack of eloquence (Ex. 4:10-17).[9] Still God does not leave him, because he chooses such people. As the Psalmist says, “You have found praise to foil the enemy from the lips of children and of babes”(Psalm 8:2). David not only committed adultery with Bathsheba but also killed her husband, who was very loyal to the king (2Sam.11:1-27). When prophet Nathan points out to David that he had to acknowledge his weakness and sin (2Sam.12: 1-25), David makes an honest and humble confession of his sin, which is found in psalm 51. When we read the vocation narratives of Isaiah (Is. 6:1-13), we come to know that there are three important aspects in vocation.
1. The discovery of one’s unworthiness.
2. The experience of forgiveness and healing.
These three aspects are essential for the follower of Christ. We see all these in the life of Peter the weak person. It was a struggle for him throughout his life.
When we read through the call of Jeremaiah, we see his acknowledgement of unworthiness for being a youth (Jer.1: 4-1). Jeremaiah was young and was at the crossroads of his life. He recognized his inadequacy to take up the task the Lord was calling him to. By saying ‘I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth’, he was not refusing the divine invitation. It was a simple expression of his own inadequacy of which he became conscious. Human weakness is no excuse to take up the mission.
St. Paul has really understood this element in his life and ministry. He invites us to contemplate our own call and find out the way we were called:
“Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1Cor. 1:26-27).
Just like Peter he comprehended the fragility and so he could be an eminent follower of Christ not according to the human standards. He could view his strengths and weaknesses in the light of Christ his master. With gusto he proclaims, “…it is not longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me”(Gal. 2:20).
2.4 ASSURANCE BY JESUS
Amazement overwhelms Peter, Andrew, John and James (v9) at the catch of the fish. In most of the call narratives the human persons are amazed at the deeds of God. They are taken up at the presence of God amidst them. In the life of St. Paul we find many instances of how he was effective and efficacious in his ministry in spite of his weakness. Paul pleaded thrice with the Lord to be delivered from a thorn in the flesh, mainly his human weakness of which he was aware. To him God replied, “My grace is sufficient for you”. God’s power was made perfect in Paul’s weakness. That is why Paul could say, “I am glad of my weakness, for it is when I am weak that I am strong” (Cf. 2Cor. 12:7-10). Having strengthened by the power of God, Paul also said, “I can do all things in him who strengthens me”(Phil. 4:13).
2.5 MISSION MANDATE
By saying ‘Do not be afraid; for now on you will be catching people’ (v10), Jesus imparts the mission.[11] There is a new beginning in the lives of the persons who are called. They are no more the same fragile fishermen. There is a total break from the past. A break from comfortable, secure, peaceful and routine life. This call of Jesus has something to tell Peter, such as, “I have not finished with you yet as you enjoy your own security in fishing and in boats. I have something better to offer you, if you are only willing to let go of the good you presently enjoy”.[12] There is a new stage that begins in Peter’s life when he meets Jesus.
‘When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him’ (v11). This shows the impulse of the moment to follow a new Master who made an impact on these fishermen. The disciples’ response to the vocation was very practical because they settled the old way of life. They did not blindly go away. Another observation here is that the Fishermen follow Jesus not because of the good catch but because of the radical concern of a great master to the simple people.
3. LK 5:1-11 AND JN 21:3-8: A COMPARISON
According to Raymond E. Brown, there are some similarities between our context here and the post-resurrectional context i.e. between Luke 5:1-11 and John 21:3-8.
1. The disciples had fished all night with no results.
2. Jesus challenged them to let down the nets.
3. The disciples enclosed an enormous catch.
4. The effect on the nets mentioned.
5. Peter reacts.
6. Jesus is called ‘Lord’.
7. Other fishermen take part in the catch but say nothing.
8. There is a theme of following Jesus.
9. The catch of fish symbolizes a successful Christian missionary endeavour.
10. The same words appear at various points in the two stories.
R.E. Brown states some dissimilarities in both stories.
In Luke, There is the call of Peter, Jesus is in the boat, there are two boats, and nets begin to break. Whereas in John, it is post resurrectional encounter with Jesus, Jesus is on the shore, there is only one boat, and the nets are untorn.[13] Here we need to note how the fragility gradually finds its way to the Lord by the call of Jesus.
4. OTHER ENCOUUNTERS OF THE FRAGILE IN LUKE
In Luke there are many instances where persons surrender to Jesus through their word and deed. Soon after the self-surrender of Peter there comes a leper trusting totally in Jesus and requests, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean” (Lk. 5:12). Jesus touches him and makes him well again. The centurion, a man of authority and command could not give good health to his servant and admits his unworthiness before Jesus (Cf. Lk. 7:6). Jesus is amazed at the simplicity shown by the man in faith. Then comes a classical text. A woman who was considered to be sinful in the town comes to Jesus at Simon the Pharisee’s residence. She shows her unworthiness, insufficiency and sinfulness and surrenders through her mere action washing and anointing Jesus’ feet with tears and oil. When she is forgiven, she begins to lead a new life (Cf. Lk. 7:36-50). When a father of an epileptic came to Jesus for his son to be healed of the evil spirit, his disposition in faith became the cause of the cure of his son (Lk. 9:38).
We observe also the growth in the faith of Peter. Initially he called Jesus ‘Master’ and ‘Lord’ and now he confesses him as the ‘Messiah of God’ (Lk. 9:20). His intimacy with Jesus brought about efficacious changes in his life and his comprehension of Jesus. In the parable of the prodigal son, the son comes to himself. He becomes aware of himself and his unworthiness. He gets up and goes to the father. That needs tremendous courage. He confesses before his father saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son”. But the father accepts his son, as he is, not bothered about the past of his beloved son (Lk. 15:18-24). Ten lepers who had come to Jesus trusting that he could heal them called out in their helplessness and Jesus listened to their plea and cured them (Lk. 17:11-19). In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector who went up to pray, the tax collector is exalted for his humility. For, “the tax collector, standing a far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Lk.18: 1-14). The tax collector was aware of his fragility. He acknowledges it and therefore he is made great. As Jesus was approaching Jericho a blind beggar calls out to him in faith saying, ‘have mercy on me’ and ‘Lord let me see again’ (Lk. 18: 35-43).
As Jesus entered Jericho he encounters Zacchaeus. When Jesus enters into the life of Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus finds meaning in his life and becomes aware of his public corruption. The words of Jesus, ‘I must stay at your house today’ changed him a lot. He is a new person altogether (Lk. 19: 1-10). Peter who is very trust worthy is predicted to deny Jesus and in a usual way he is ready with an answer. But he falls, denies Jesus three times. But when Jesus looked at him, Peter goes out and weeps bitterly (Lk. 22: 31-34, 54-62). Here is a man who is very staunch in his conviction and is ready to give his life for Jesus, but falls because of his over estimate or trusting his own self more than trusting God. Towards the end of Jesus’ earthly life when he was on the cross one of the criminals abuses him whereas another acknowledges his guilt and begs to be remembered in the kingdom (Lk. 23:40-43).
Thus many a times Jesus comes down to the level of the human and never rejects a repented sinner or a person who realizes one’s own unworthiness. Rather, he fills the person with his power.
5. FRAGILITY IN US TODAY
Let us look into our lives and experiences where Jesus meets us in our fragility keeping in mind our pericope.
5.1 CONCERN OF JESUS
We are fragile human beings who always need some power from above to help us. Christ meets us today in our struggles just like in the case of the disciples. He meets us when we are faced with difficulties and are saddened. He meets us at the point of our needs. By responding to our needs Jesus shows himself to be the one who is immensely concerned about us. Thus he becomes utterly relevant to our lives. Like Peter if we trust in the Lord and master who gives hope to our lives, will result in wonders. For “God’s action towards us is not ultimately determined by our goodness or our excellence. God is absolutely free in his dealings with us. He acts, he does not react. It is our privilege and our joy to react and to respond”[14]. Thus we know that our God is free and freedom giving.
5.2 FREEDOM GIVER
God does not force anything on us nor does he expect us to say ‘yes’ in the first encounter. As human we are given freedom from the beginning. It is up to us to use the God-given freedom for the good of oneself and others. In this manner the Catholic Church holds and teaches the same. The Catechism of the Catholic Church while speaking about the sacrament of Holy Orders states:
“No one has a right to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. Indeed no one claims this office for himself; he is called to it by God. Any one who thinks he recognizes the signs of God’s call to the ordained ministry must humbly submit his desire to the authority of the Church, who has the responsibility and right to call someone to receive orders. Like every grace this sacrament can be received only as an unmerited gift”[15] (no.1578).
For any vocation God is the beginner. He takes initiative to call anyone whom he chooses and commissions that person with a mission. When the author of Hebrews speaks about the High Priesthood of Christ Jesus, he describes: “One does not presume to take this honour but takes it only when called by God”(Heb. 5:4). Thus vocation comes from God. It is not only our wish but also God’s.
5.3 HESITATION IS NATURAL
Hesitation of the human being is natural since he/she has not yet come in contact with that Absolute reality. One realizes that God is more powerful than oneself. Since we are so much intoxicated with outer environment, which imprisons us inwardly, we are not ready to come out of it. We need to be always open and ready for that moment when God calls us forth from our apparent securities into true securities or apparent insecurities.
Isaiah realized that he was a man with unclean lips. He has the realization of sin, awareness of his sense of unworthiness and his nothingness. God can do marvels with those who know what they are and realize their need of cleansing. Indeed, growing consciousness of one’s sinfulness is a sure sign that one is entering more fully into the holy presence of God, into the light of God.
5.4 UNWORTHINESS IS NOT WORTHLESSNESS
One vital point here is to note that discovering one’s unworthiness should not be confused with low self-image or low self-esteem. It is not the perversion of running oneself down, condemning oneself or considering oneself to be worthless. According to Fr. Ratus: “This growth is rather the growing awareness of how much you still fall short of glory that the Lord wishes you to be filled with, of how much darkness there is still in your life that needs to be lighted up with the light of Christ”.[16] Thus we comprehend that it is the spiritual experience of human beings. As we know, holy men and women become aware of their inadequacy, insufficiency, imperfections, sinfulness, emptiness and nothingness before the mighty God. This is the reason that Peter’s confession also reveals the sudden awareness of being in the presence of the Holy one of God. It also implies that the person who desires to speak of God must experience divine forgiveness, not as truth intelligible to the mind but as truth experienced in personal life. No proud person can become a prophet of God.
5.5 SELF SURRENDER
Vocation calls us to surrender and commit ourselves, “When one has experienced the boundless mercy and love of God, there is but one response to make: an unconditional, life-surrender to such a God”.[17] There have been many who have experienced God’s forgiveness and healing touch, but who have not responded to his invitation to mission. They think that they are at peace but their eyes are still blind to the needs of others, and their hearts still are away from the call of love and service. As for my observation, there is power in the ministry of such persons whose vocation springs from a personal experience of the overwhelming holiness and forgiving love of God. I know a person who was a very angry man. After his spiritual experience of God, he is a different person. To my surprise even when he is in a place where one will easily loose one’s temper, he is not disturbed. He is a calm and efficacious minister of God. It is not by one-day experience that one is changed. It is a climax of growing in awareness of what one may and ought to do with one’s life in the Lord’s service. A disciple is the one who, living with Jesus, gradually obtains a deeper insight into the person of Jesus and shares this experience with other.[18] Thus surrenders oneself fully to the Lord realizing one’s emptiness before the Lord.
5.6 DYING TO SELF AND LIVING TO GOD
No person called by God to the ministry adequately measures up to the demands, implications and the expectations of the call. However, God meets our human weaknesses with his divine strength. For this we need to step out in faith. Only a person of faith can understand and experience it in the day-to-day life. Life of faith and union with Jesus demand a radical renunciation of all other connections. Life of faith is resulting from a constant and dynamic indwelling of Jesus’ words within us: dying to oneself and living to God. How can the word of God be effective? We read in the letter to the Hebrews about the active and creative word of God (Cf. Heb.4:12). In this regard Edward Schweizer says, “Men are made disciples by the call of Jesus, which is as powerful as the creative word of God”.[19] This was very much actualized in the life of Peter as he encountered Jesus. It is prevalent in our life too.
5.7 OPENNESS IN LOVE
St. John Marie Vianney says, “The more we know of God the more we love him”.[20] It is true. But how shall we come to love him more? It should be by becoming aware of one’s unworthiness before the magnificent God of Love. Interior disposition is the hallmark of discipleship. We who have good conscience become aware of the love of God for us. Spiritual men and women who come closer to the light /God, will only experience it. St. Paul tells, “Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come” (2Cor. 5:17). By entering into one’s life, Christ takes possession of one’s inner most being and transforms one into a new creature. This took place in the life of Peter, a simple Galilean fisherman who acknowledged his unworthiness before the magnificent God. This Jesus is the one who just got into Peter’s boat, and preached the word of God. Trusting Jesus’ word, Peter casts out the nets and has a good catch. Often God’s work brings about amazement and it results in faith. It is natural for one to say ‘no’ to the call. We who have said ‘yes’ still say ‘no’ because we are not ready or the external blocks thwart us. We are tied up with our securities. But true love makes us open to ourselves and to God.
5.8 RADICAL RENUNCIATION
In our lives too we are wonder struck at the action of God. Weakness has a place in our lives; it makes us depend upon God. If we forget this and begin to rely upon our own achievements and strengths alone, then we are doomed. It may be our studies, pastoral ministry, family, friends and other interpersonal relationship upon which we rely. It is not that the past life was bad or evil to be omitted. Not at all, but it’s to make our life more meaningful. When God calls us, he calls us to make a significant and radical break with our present style of living. It demands a radical renunciation of all old connections. This is the case with many eminent saints like Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola, John Marie Vianney and Mother Teresa who made impact on the lives of people. So are the men and women of our age who opt out of a comfortable life to dedicate themselves to work for a better world.
5.9 INCARNATION AMONG THE FRAGILE
I just wonder how perfectly the infinite God accommodates himself to his creatures. This is manifested in the incarnation: God coming down to our human level. Now in every vocation God deals with a person according to that person’s nature, never forcing it beyond its powers. Yet, he gives the person the grace to say ‘yes’ out of one’s own free will. He never hurts or runs down the human person. He knows that human beings are very sensitive and fragile.
The mission given to us has three aspects, which are to be fulfilled: 1. Creation of community, 2.Care of physical needs and 3. Proclaiming the kingdom of God. In the pastoral ministry of mine I am aware of these aspects and try to take care of them. If we submit to the Lord in faith, he will do marvels in our lives too.
CONCLUSION
God calls us to be our best selves and reach our highest personal and spiritual potential. Peter was aware of his own weakness (5:8). Peter succumbed to one of the most basic human instincts – self-preservation (22:57-62). Anyone who has any degree of self-understanding will see oneself in Peter’s failure. We fail because of our weaknesses. But do we step into the providence of God who will definitely make our weakness and unworthiness into greater strength for his greater glory?
The mystery of incarnation bids us the challenge to be aware of the humanness in us and to follow the Lord with zeal and gusto. It’s not that once Peter was called he became fully divine. He remained with his weakness. However at the hands of God the weak and the fool become strong and wise. Self-awareness and self-assessment are inevitable in the life of the followers of Christ. They will lead one to self-surrender. Such people will make effective and efficacious servants of God and people. Human fragility is indeed a call to surrender!
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. BROWN, RAYMOND E., The Gospel According to John (XIII-XXI), Doubleday, Garden City, N.Y., 1970.
2. Catechism of the Catholic Church, Theological Publications in India, Bangalore, 1996.
3. CULPEPPER, ALAN R., The Gospel of Luke, (The New Interpreter’s Bible vol. IX), Abingdon Press, Nashvile, 1995.
4. HOWARD, MARSHAL., The Gospel of Luke, William Eudmans Publishing Company, Michigan, 1978.
5. KEALY, JOHN P., Luke’s Gospel Today, Dominension Books, New Jercy, 1980.
6. KNOX, RONALD., A Commentary on the Gospels, Sheed &Ward, New York, 1954.
7. RATUS, LESILEE., Unless some man show me, St. Pius College, Bombay, 1998.
8. SCHWEIZER, EDWARD., The Good News according to Mark, London,1971.
9. SHEPPARD, LANCELOT C., The Cure’d’Ars, Universe Books edition, London, 1963.
[1] R. Alan CULPEPPER, The Gospel of Luke, (The New Interpreter’s Bible vol. IX), Abingdon Press, Nashvile, 1995.
[2] R. Alan CULPEPPER, The Gospel of Luke, (The New Interpreter’s Bible vol. IX), Abingdon Press, Nashvile, 1995.
[3] It is normal that if any one is extraordinary in his or her speech and action, people become curious to see and have the darshan of that person. From Jesus’ childhood we see how people admire him for the wisdom.
[4] It is usual that fishermen after coming from the work they wash the nets and dry them in order to keep it ready for the following day’s work or next catch.
[5] R. Alan CULPEPPER, The Gospel of Luke, (The New Interpreter’s Bible vol. IX), Abingdon Press, Nashvile, 1995. p 115.
[6] Marshal HOWARD, The Gospel of Luke, William Eudmans Publishing Company, Michigan, 1978.
[7]It is only when someone touches the core of our being in love that we feel our unworthiness. Love only can do this. It is said that ‘awareness heals’.
[8] John P KEALY, Luke’s Gospel Today, Dominension Books, New Jercy, 1980.
[9] Lesilee RATUS, Unless some man show me, St. Pius College, Mumbai, 1998.
[10]ibid.
[11] The phrase ‘Fishing for men’ is mentioned in all the synoptic gospels.
[12] Lesilee RATUS, Unless some man show me, St. Pius College, Mumbai, 1998.
[13] Raymond E BROWN, The Gospel According to John (XIII-XXI), AB 29A (Garden City, N.Y.:Doubleday,1970).
[14] Lesilee RATUS, Unless some man show me, St. Pius College, Bombay, 1998.
[15] Catechism of the Catholic Church, Theological Publications in India, Bangalore, 1996 p.303.
[16]Lesilee RATUS, Unless some man show me, St. Pius College, Bombay, 1998.
[17] Lesilee RATUS, Unless some man show me, St. Pius College, Bombay, 1998.
[18] Cf. Edward SCHWEIZER, The Good News according to Mark, London,1971.
[19] Cf. Edward SCHWEIZER, The Good News according to Mark, London,1971.
[20] Lancelot C. SHEPPARD, The Cure’d’Ars,Universe Books edition, London, 1963.
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