Doing the impossible

How often does it happen to us that we think of something we would like to do which is rather unusual, but then we soon give up the idea of even starting it because we become aware that it is beyond our capabilities and therefore quite impossible? In today's Gospel, however, Jesus tells us that this need not always be true.

Jesus was once sitting on Peter's fishing boat on the Lake of Galilee and from it addressing the crowds, who had by now become eager to hear his voice and learn from him. His words were always inspiring.

At a certain point, however, Jesus takes a pause and asks Peter to "stand out into deep water and let down his nets for a catch". Jesus was no expert at fishing, unlike Peter who knew his job well. Although Peter thought that there would have been no point in trying, because he and his fellow fishermen had long been trying in vain, he nevertheless had faith in Christ and knew that with Jesus on board things could be quite different.

Then Peter said to Jesus: "At your word I will let down the nets". The result we know from today's Gospel: they took such a great quantity of fish that the nets were near breaking and the boat was near sinking. Christ's presence and Peter's faith had made all the difference.

A similar thing has repeated itself many times in history, and it goes repeating itself all the time in our own personal regard. Scientific discoveries, which our ancestors had never even dreamed of before, have made it possible for different aspects of industry to create limitless energy and produce unheard of results. Just think of atomic energy, which, while wreaking untold destruction if badly applied, can be turned into a powerful source of useful energy when used properly.

Faith in Christ has a power whose limit can never be assessed by man. A man who has faith not only operates with God's help, but allows God to operate him and through him. Peter's miraculous catch on the shores of the Lake of Genesareth was in no way the result of Peter's fishing skills, but of the divine power of God who was 'allowed' to operate through Peter.

Unlike Peter, when we want to achieve something difficult, we spare no effort and do everything human possible, except however tapping God's own divine power and having recourse to him through prayer and sincere faith.

The result of such poor attitude on our part we unfortunately know from sad experience: spiritual discomfort and often lack of faith even in ourselves.

On the other hand there have often been situations in our lifetime when the opposite was true. We were humble enough to be conscious of our human limitations and made recourse to God, even by a simple thought or inner prayer, and the result was a positive one, sometimes even beyond all our expectations.

There are times when with all our competence and technical abilities, we think we know everything, except two things: that we are limited, and that God's power is unlimited. Paul the Apostle himself, who knew Christ a little more than we do, could write with conviction: "I can do everything in Him who gives me strength".

It is always faith that can make the difference. And faith, remember, is not only a function of the intellect, but above all of the will and of the heart. People today may know more and more "about God", but they know 'God' less and less. What makes all the difference is love, personal love for God as a person. One does not truly know what one does not love!