Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

February 24, 2019

Readings:

First Reading: 1 Samuel 26: 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23

Psalm: 103

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15: 45-49

Gospel reading according to Luke 6: 27-38

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Homily:

Jesus explained further what he meant in his “beatitude” (blessedness, happiness), particularly the fourth saying: “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. . .” (Lk. 6: 22), on account of him.  Jesus came and talked to his disciples about the goodness and mercy of God.  He gave them and us deeper meaning of this blessedness by doing good to others as God did to us.  “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you’.” (Lk. 6: 27-28). He instructed the great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people and us as well not to retaliate to others’ hatred but rather return love to them who hated us.  He even said to do good to them; bless them also instead of giving curses back to them; as if Jesus is telling us never fight back but instead pray for them.  When they hated us, discarded us and treated us without respect even though they are our children, brothers and sisters, parents, relatives, neighbors and friends, we have to pray for them for the enlightenment of their mind and change of their heart.  Forgive the wrong they have done to us.   For example, Archbishop Jose Palma, DD, bishop of Cebu City “urged people not to lose hope amid the continued killings” (PDI, News, “Church: Reject bets backing death policies,” February 17, 2019, p. A3). “We need God’s grace,” he said.  He said the spate (series) of killings in Cebu must not stop people from praying.  “Many are killed and yet we should not waver in seeking God’s help. Let us continue praying,” he said (ibid.).  Let us pray for our enemies, as what Jesus told his disciples.

There are some people whose hands are very heavy (mabigat ang mga kamay) as a saying goes.  They slap other people’s faces with or without any reason, especially when they are not in good disposition.  They find it easily to hurt someone physically.   “To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic” (Lk. 6: 29).  Jesus said to offer the other cheek when somebody strikes you on one cheek.  This does not show any cowardice or weakness but Jesus is showing us how to stop the cycle of violence.  Even someone is taking your cloak; give also your tunic without withholding it.  Just think maybe that s/he needed it most than you do.

Whether friends or enemies, when you see someone needing something you have and asking it from you, give without expecting s/he will return it back to you. “Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back” (Lk. 6: 30).  When someone is asking you for help, extend your hands to him/her.  Who knows someday when you too need a help, s/he whom you helped might help you too, despite s/he is your enemy.  “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Lk. 6: 31).  Jesus is saying this golden rule to do to others what you would like them to do to you.  Nothing will be lost to you if you extend help to others, rather you will gain friendships. 

He gave also some comparisons, contrasts and judgments on this beatitude.  “For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners love those who love them” (Lk. 6: 32).   First is about love versus hate or rejection.  Because you were hated by others, you will love only those who like and love you.  There is no merit on that because even those sinners show love to those unlovable, how much more we Christians who cannot love those unlovable.  Jesus is counted us on his commandment of love.  Outside our circle of friends, they are pariahs (outcasts) in our affection, those who do not love you, they too are excluded, (hindi papansinin o kikilalanin), which is not what Jesus wants us to do.  Second is about doing good to those who do good versus avoiding giving and sharing good to those who do not do good to us.  “And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners do the same” (Lk. 6: 33).  If we do good only to those people who do good to us what is the difference as to sinners who do good to others who are in need?  Jesus wants us to do good beyond our limited acquaintances and friends.  He is saying to us to extend our goodness to others. Third is on lending money without expecting of paying back rather than of repayment.  “If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount” (Lk. 6: 34).  If we lend money to others expecting repayment in return what merit we have got with that for even sinners lend money with expectation of receiving payment of debt.  When we lend money do not expect that our debtor will pay us back.  If s/he pays us back well and good, but if not regard it as help and support to his/her needs.

Then, Jesus gave us summary of this beatitude.  “But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked” (Lk. 6: 35).  He said, love your enemies.  Do good to them.  Lend money expecting nothing back.  In return of doing these, he said our reward will be great, we will become children of God Most High.  He then describes God the Father as kind to the ungrateful and wicked people.  If we do what God do to the ungrateful and wicked, we will become children of Him.     

The center of Jesus’ teaching which described also who this Most High Lord God is, that God is merciful, so he asked us that we too become merciful.  “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Lk. 6: 36).  When we are merciful to others, we do not judge or condemn others; we become forgiving followers of Jesus Christ.  “Stop judging and you will not be judged.  Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.  Forgive and you will be forgiven” (Lk. 6: 37).  Stop judging, stop condemning and the cycle of violence will stop too, and love and mercy remain.  In the end of his sermon of the beatitude, he said: “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.  For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you” (Lk. 6: 38).  The giving we extend to others, especially to those who hated us or to our considered enemies, will return to us as a gift or reward, more than what we are expecting, more than what we have given, as what Jesus promised, a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing.  Thanks be to God!

Statement Prior to Meeting on Protection of Minors in Rome UISG / USG

Pope Francis praying, Vatican Media

‘The abuse of children is wrong anywhere and anytime: this point is not negotiable.’

February 19, 2019 17:03ZENIT StaffSexual Abuse and Protection of Minors

 

The Major Superiors of Religious Orders and Congregations (USIG/USG) on February 19, 2019, issued a statement in advance of the February 21-24 Vatican Summit on the Protection of Minors, with the message: “The abuse of children is wrong anywhere and anytime: this point is not negotiable.”

The statement pledges the support of the superiors for the initiative of Pope Francis in calling the meeting and addressing the abuse crisis.

“In our work as religious, we come across many situations where children are abused, neglected, maltreated and unwanted,” the statement said. “We see child soldiers; the trafficking of minors; the sexual abuse of minors; the physical and emotional abuse of minors. They cry out to us. As adults, as Christians and as religious we want to work so that their lives are changed and that the situations in which they are brought up are improved…

“We bow our heads in shame at the realization that such abuse has taken place in our Congregations and Orders, and in our Church…We need a different culture in the Church and in our wider society. We need a culture where children are treasured and where safeguarding is promoted…

“For our own part, we commit to do our best to listen better to survivors, humbly acknowledging that that has not always been the case. We will implement what is decided at this meeting in terms of the accountability required of those in authority.”

The Full USIG/USG Statement

As the meeting on safeguarding and protection of minors begins we, the Major Superiors of Religious Orders and Congregations around the world, unite in support of this initiative of Pope Francis.

In our work as religious, we come across many situations where children are abused, neglected, maltreated and unwanted. We see child soldiers; the trafficking of minors; the sexual abuse of minors; the physical and emotional abuse of minors. They cry out to us. As adults, as Christians and as religious we want to work so that their lives are changed and that the situations in which they are brought up are improved.

The common theme across all of these issues is vulnerability. Children are the most vulnerable in our societies. Children who are poor, who are disabled or destitute, or who are on the margins, who belong to lower social classes or castes may have a particular vulnerability. They are considered dispensable, to be used and abused.

Sexual abuse in the Church

This particular meeting focuses on the sexual abuse of children and the abuse of power and conscience by those in authority in the Church, especially bishops, priests and religious. It is a story stretching back for decades, a narrative of immense pain for those who have suffered this abuse.

We bow our heads in shame at the realization that such abuse has taken place in our Congregations and Orders, and in our Church. We have learned that those who abuse deliberately hide their actions and are manipulative. By definition, it is difficult to uncover this abuse. Our shame is increased by our own lack of realization of what has been happening. We acknowledge that when we look at Provinces and Regions in our Orders and Congregations across the world, that the response of those in authority has not been what it should have been. They failed to see warning signs or failed to take them seriously.

Our hopes for this Meeting

Our hope for this meeting is that the Holy Spirit will work powerfully during these three days. A three-day meeting is a short time. However, we believe that with the winds of change blowing through our Church and with goodwill on all sides, important processes and structures of accountability can be started and the ones already in place can be supported. New steps forward can be imagined and decisions can be made so that implementation can follow speedily and universally with proper respect for different cultures. The abuse of children is wrong anywhere and anytime: this point is not negotiable.

The Holy Father

The leadership of the Holy Father is key. He has shown the way in so many of these areas; he has acknowledged the pain and guilt; he has met with survivors; he has acknowledged his own mistakes and his need to learn from these survivors. We join with him in his mission to humbly acknowledge and confess the wrongs that have been done; to reach out to survivors; to learn from them how to accompany those who have been abused and how they wish us to hear their stories.

For our own part, we commit to do our best to listen better to survivors, humbly acknowledging that that has not always been the case. We will implement what is decided at this meeting in terms of the accountability required of those in authority.

A culture of Safeguarding

We need a different culture in the Church and in our wider society. We need a culture where children are treasured and where safeguarding is promoted.

– Education and Health Care: Through the schools and the hospitals which many of us run, we can make a difference. Those institutions now have a heightened awareness of the issue of abuse and better protocols and higher standards of protection are in place. Children in these places are more secure than ever before. Sometimes, although admittedly not in all cases, our practices can be a model for others.

– Formation: we will integrate the protection of minors and vulnerable adults into our formation programmes, ensuring that, at every stage, appropriate instruction and education is given to both formators and those in formation. Cultural assumptions must be challenged. As said earlier, it must be clear that whatever the culture and background, the abuse of children is never permitted or tolerable.

– Spirituality: We will ask our Spirituality Centres to develop special outreach to any survivor who wishes to find help in their struggles with faith and meaning. Finding Jesus in a personal way is something that can heal us all. But we understand, too, that those who have been abused by priests or religious may want to stay far distant from the Church and from those who represent the Church. We do know that there are some survivors who want to make this journey of healing and we will try humbly to journey with them. A spirituality that emphasizes personal growth and healing is for many survivors a special gift and grace. Traditional ways of speaking of sin need particular attention. Those who have been abused often carry a sense of guilt, shame, and even sin. In reality, however, they are the ones who have been sinned against.

These and other steps are ways in which our work as religious can help the efforts of the Church.

Conversion

Pope Francis rightly attacks the culture of clericalism which has hindered our fight against abuse and indeed is one of the root causes. In addition, the strong sense of family in our Orders and Congregations – something usually so positive – can make it harder to condemn and expose abuse. It resulted in a misplaced loyalty, errors in judgment, slowness to act, denial and at times, cover-up. We still need conversion and we want to change. We want to act with humility. We want to see our blind spots. We want to name any abuse of power. We commit to engage in a journey with those we serve, moving forward with transparency and trust, honesty and sincere repentance.

Resources

Resources are always an issue. A glance at societies that have put child protection practices in place shows that even government health services struggle with providing adequate resources. We need to collaborate with each other in this area so that resources are used effectively and efficiently. The UISG and USG will work to ensure that Congregations cooperate so that we reach out in the most effective way to survivors in their journey of healing. Formation and ongoing formation can perhaps be the best areas where we can work together. The screening of candidates who join religious life is also something we can collaborate on, identifying best practices. This screening should be compulsory and of the highest quality.

A plea for the Involvement of parents and of women

We ask the help of parents in our fight against abuse. They have a natural instinct for the protection of children that is indispensable. Their advice, their support, their expertise and their challenge to us will be particularly welcome. In particular, we underline the role of mothers. It is fair to say that if women had been asked for their advice and assistance in the evaluation of cases, stronger, faster and more effective action would have been taken. Our ways of handling allegations would have been different, and victims and their families would have been spared a great deal of suffering.

A message to Survivors

Lastly, but most importantly, we want to send a message directly to survivors and their families. We acknowledge that there was an inadequate attempt to deal with this issue and a shameful lack of capacity to understand your pain. We offer our sincerest apologies and our sorrow. We ask you to believe in our goodwill and in our sincerity. We invite you to work with us to put in place new structures to ensure that the risks are minimized.

This meeting will focus on the Protection of Minors. However, recent media attention has also focused on the abuse and exploitation of religious sisters, seminarians, and candidates in formation houses. This is a matter of grave and shocking concern. We pledge ourselves to do all in our power to find an effective response. We want to ensure that those who generously apply to join religious orders or who are trained in seminaries live in places of safety where their vocation is nourished and where their desire to love God and others is helped to grow to maturity.

As the meeting on safeguarding starts, we ask pardon of all for our failures and repeat that we stand with the Holy Father. We commit our efforts to working with him so that the Church can move forward in a coherent, credible and unified way, a way that is genuinely healing, truly renewed, with new eyes to see and new ears to hear.

February 19, 2019 17:03Sexual Abuse and Protection of Minors

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

February 17, 2019

Readings:

First Reading: Jerimiah 17: 5-8

Psalm: 1

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15: 12, 16-20

Gospel reading according to Luke 6: 17, 20-26

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Homily:

Jesus and his twelve Apostles went down to the level area where people are gathered together to wait, see and listen to him and to witness some miracles by curing different kind of sicknesses, diseases and illnesses, and even expelling demons.  Almost all people in the land were present.  It was a huge crowd, of different languages, colors, races and beliefs, although they came together for Jesus because he did many wonderful works and miracles, and he talked to their hearts especially about Reign-Kingdom of God.  Jesus comes to meet the people where they are.   “Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a stretch of level ground with a great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon” (Lk.. 6: 17).  People from all walks of life, from Judea, Jerusalem up to the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon near the Mediterranean Sea were congregated and assembled on that stretch land as they heard that Jesus is passing by with his twelve chosen Apostles who made also many miracles in the name of Jesus.  A great crowd of his disciples were waiting for him as well as a large number of people were also there for they heard all this news and so they became interested to see who this Jesus was.  

Roaming around his eyes, (iginala niya ang kanyang mga mata), and raised it up he saw different faces with diffident problems, struggles in life, some are hard pressed in life, some are depressed, others are sad and lonely, poor, hungry and thirsty, others are crying, begging, people who are tired, overburdened, feeling surrendering oneself, hopeless, helpless, malaise, bad luck, cursed, persecuted, broken hearted, sick, possessed by demons, rejected, unloved, abandoned, orphaned, etc., etc., etc., and all these, and many others Jesus saw in the faces of every person in the crowd.  “And raising his eyes toward his disciples.  . .” (Lk. 6: 20).  He saw each one of them with his merciful eyes, all of them, and he felt in his Sacred Heart the needs of their hearts, their hearts’ desires to be satisfied and or answered.

And so, on the one hand, he announced this good news to all of them, “. . . he said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours’.” (Lk. 6: 20).  Blessed are the poor, not because they are poor but because the Reign-Kingdom of God is theirs.  Jesus did not mean to say it is okay to be poor, to be lacking in everything, yet wanting everything but cannot afford.  He did not mean to say also that it is okay to be poor for the poor when they die they will go to heaven, therefore it is good to be poor, and so that other people can take everything that are supposedly belonged to the poor. To become poor is unjust and unacceptable to God who created everything to give satisfaction to all his creatures.  Nobody or no any human being either would like to become materially and financially poor, except those who professed it to live materially and spiritually poor life for the sake of the Reign-Kingdom of God.  Sometimes, poor people are called lazy by those people who have but they did not understand that the poor became poor because they were not given a chance to prove themselves; they have no opportunities to improve their status in life, and many other reasons why they became poor without their intention or desire nor they did not like to become poor.  Nevertheless, the bias of God is with the poor, His Anawim, with his loving heart and just hands.

Jesus proclaimed and said, “Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh” (Lk. 6: 21).  Jesus did not mean to say that it is okay to be hungry and even thirsty, to live in an empty stomach, without any food in the table.  He did not mean also to say that weeping caused by others is okay.  Again, like poverty or being poor, hunger, especially when children are crying for food, and the parents could not do anything except to pacify their children and let them sleep with an empty stomach; because of the economic dictates of those who own and produce food, they can manipulate the market of food in cases like inflation, the increase of the costs of food from the farm to the market, they control the price of the commodities, too.  Nevertheless, Jesus announced that those who are hungry now will be satisfied with food abundantly.  And those who are weeping now will have the last laugh as louder as they can scream out loud.  As what in the Canticle of Mary indicated that, “He has filled the hungry with good things, . . .” (cf. Lk. 1:53).

He announced also to those crowds, ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.’ (Lk. 6: 22). Of course, every one of us needs friends to rely on, not enemies who hated us, who excluded us and insulted us, who denounced our name as evil.  But we cannot avoid not to have enemies because of what we believe, of what we imposed to ourselves, the policies we made and the standard we set to ourselves, and also because of our faith in God and in our Lord Jesus Christ where some if not many do not like or believed.  We are blessed by the Lord Jesus Christ in front of his Father if we recognized him as our Lord and Master before men, but he will deny us in front of his Father when we deny him before men (cf. Mt. 10: 33). “Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!  Behold your reward will be great in heaven.  For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way” (Lk. 6: 23).  Despite of our exclusion, of insult, denouncement, calling name names, as their ancestors did to the prophets of old, we should remain steadfast in our faith in Jesus Christ for no one can take away our happiness and joy and contentment coming from Him.

Jesus, on the other hand, denounced those insensitive to the needs of their neighbors, as he said, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation” (Lk. 6: 24). Again, in the Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Mother of God, it says, “.  . . and the rich he sent away empty” (cf. Lk. 1:53).  Jesus did not mean to say that it is bad to become rich, besides he wanted all humankind to become rich, but richness with mercy and compassion, with cooperation and sharing of gift to those in need.  The rich, if they use their wealth for the betterment/welfare of others, Jesus did not refer this woe to them.  He referred it to those who were greedy, avaricious, materialistic, whose interest only were themselves, who were blinded by their wealth, and wealth is their gods/goddesses.

Jesus also announced the reversal of conditions of those who are filled, those who laugh, those who received from people who spoken well of them.  He said, “Woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way” (Lk. 6: 25-26).  Life is like a wheel (gulong ng palad), not always we are at the bottom, and not always we are on the top.  We should not lose faith when we are poor, or hungry, or weeping, or hated, excluded, insulted and denounced our name now because of Jesus.  It is better to live like these, to be faithful to him, for the Reign-Kingdom of God is ours, that He will satisfy our hunger, that He will wipe out our tears and turns it with laughter.  Because of Him, we must be ready to be hated, excluded, insulted and denounce.  God can reverse all things.  As Jesus said, “Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!  Behold your reward will be great in heaven.” But if we do not change our relationship with our God and our neighbors, He can turn upside down our conditions in life. God woes us, afflicts us and griefs us because of our abuses of richness, full and abundance of wealth due to the blood and sweat of so many poor laborers, workers, and receiving lots of praises in spite of too much corruption and greediness, as they did to the false prophets. God is not sleeping (hindi natuttulog ang Diyos), He sees us and everything we do, think and say.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

February 10, 2019

Readings:

First Reading: Isaiah 6: 1-2a, 3-8

Psalm: 138

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 (or 15: 3-8, 11)

Gospel reading according to Luke 5: 1-11

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Homily:

Jesus moved to Galilee in Gennesaret after his own towns’ people rejected him and even attempted to kill him, and in his new dwelling place there he continued preaching and teaching to the people of Galilee the good news.  Despite he was driven out in Nazareth, he was accepted in other places, like in the towns and villages in Galilee. Many people came to him to listen to him and be cured by him their many diseases, sicknesses and illnesses, even those who were possessed by the evil spirits.  “While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret” (Lk. 5: 1).  The people in the Lake Gennesaret were interested to Jesus’ preaching and teaching while he was standing at the lake.  They listened intently and coming closer to him to hear the word of God.  They did not want to miss any single word that comes from his mouth. He was pressed by the people and cornered at the shore by the lake.

To not fall down in the water (matumba sa tubig), for he was standing at the lake and many people were coming to him and pressing him (nagsisiksikan na ang mga tao), he caught sight two newly arrived boats from evening fishing and they were tending and cleaning their nets in the shore.  “He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets” (Lk. 5: 2). From the evening until dawn, they caught nothing, so when the sun was about to rise, they decided to go back home, and on that day, while they were cleaning their nets for the next day’s catching of fish Jesus saw them.

Jesus came to one of the boats owned by Simon and Andrew, his brother.    “Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.  Then he sat down and thought the crowds from the boat” (Lk. 5: 3).  He came to Simon and asked him if he can ride in his boat.  When Simon agreed, he was asked to put out the boat a little closer to the shore so that people can still hear his preaching.  As a teacher, he sat down on the deck of the boat, as what other teachers usually do in the synagogue and in the school, and taught the people of many things especially with regards to the Reign-Kingdom of God.

When he had finished his preaching and sent the people home, he asked Simon to go a little bit farther from the shore to catch fish.  Maybe Simon became irritated and annoyed to Jesus for the whole night they were in the middle of the deeper part of the sea to catch fish but nothing they caught despite the fact that he knew the sea very well for he was an expert fisherman, and maybe he was tired and hungry, and suddenly here comes a man from Nazareth who does not know the sea, the boat and the nets rather he knew only the carpenter’s tools and wood, is now telling him to catch fish.  What an insult to Simon to put into the deep water the boat and lower the nets for a catch of fish.  “After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.’  Simon said in reply, ‘Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets’.” (Lk. 5: 4-5). They were not far from the shore and it was already mid-morning and the sun was high above the sky.  Simon knew that there are no fish at that hour and on that place because the water is shallow.  Even though he was still a little bit irritated and annoyed he obeyed Jesus for he loved and respected this new arrived teacher, after explaining to Jesus that they worked hard all night and have caught nothing, and because of his command he lowered the nets.

 Instantly, after lowering the nets they caught great number of fish. Simon could not imagine that they could catch at that hour and in that place a great amount of fish.  And because of this catch, the nets were near tearing. “When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.  They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them.  They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking” (Lk. 5: 6-7).  Because of plenty of fish, they needed the help of the other fishermen from the other boat, the boat owned by Zebedee with his two sons, James and John.  They came and even their boat was about to sink because of that great catch of fish.

The effect of that great catch to Simon was enormous.  “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, ‘Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.’  For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon’’ (Lk. 5: 8-10).  Because before he obeyed Jesus there was something happening deep down in his thought and in his heart, for he was thinking who was this Jesus and what he knew about the sea; so also he felt irritated and annoyed  for he felt he was insulted by Jesus for he knew the depth, width, size of the Sea of Galilee.  He was raised and grew up by the sea. Simon was so sorry for what he thought and felt about Jesus, and begged on his knees to depart from him because he realized his sin.  But not only Simon begged forgiveness, even the two brothers were seized of astonishment.

Jesus knew the weaknesses of Simon and at the same time his ability and capacity.  He knew how to pacify Simon, and he guaranteed Simon Peter of his future. “Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him” (Lk. 5: 10-11). He no longer afraid with his weakness, but rather he was restored and was given a new life.  He no longer catching fish, but of men and women (tao na), in the name of Jesus, his beloved and respected Teacher.  Simon Peter and the two brothers, James and John, left their boats and their families and from now on follow Jesus wherever he goes.