Catholic Identity
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel Reading (Luke 5:1-11)
Once, while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”
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.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”
When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
One day, Jesus was teaching a crowd by a lake when He saw two empty fishing boats. He got into Simon Peter’s boat and asked him to row a little away from shore so He could teach the people.
After teaching, Jesus told Simon Peter to throw his fishing nets into the water. Simon was unsure because he and his friends had been fishing all night without catching anything. But he obeyed Jesus, and suddenly, their nets were overflowing with so many fish that they almost broke!
Simon Peter was amazed and realised Jesus was someone special. He felt unworthy, but Jesus told him not to be afraid. Instead of catching fish, Jesus said Simon Peter and his friends would now “catch people” – meaning they would share God’s message with others.
Right away, Simon Peter, James, and John left everything and followed Jesus, becoming His first disciples. This story shows how trusting and obeying Jesus can lead to amazing things!
Something to think about
This story reminds us to trust Jesus, even when things seem impossible—just like Simon Peter did when he listened to Jesus and caught so many fish. It also shows that Jesus calls ordinary people, like Peter, to do extraordinary things.
At St Peter’s Primary School, wecan follow Peter’s example by listening to Jesus, showing kindness, and believing that God has a special plan for each of us. How can we trust Jesus in our daily lives? Maybe by helping others, praying, or doing our best in school. Like St Peter, we are called to follow Jesus with faith and courage!