9 February 2025 - homily for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 5:1-11

In today’s Gospel, Jesus encounters Simon Peter and his fishing companions as they are washing their nets. He tells Peter: “Put out into the deep water – let down your nets for a catch.”  Peter explains that he and his companions, all experienced fishermen, had worked all night long and had caught nothing. Does Jesus know something that they don’t know?  They place their hope and trust in Jesus, so, at his command, they lower their nets. They catch an abundance of fish, enough to tear their nets to shreds and sink their boats. Here they are in the same place where they had labored day after day, a place they knew well, and to their great surprise, they have a catch beyond all imagining. We can only imagine the trust, faith, and hope that the disciples needed in order to cast their nets into the deep.  

We, too, are called to cast our nets into the deep of our little corner of the world each day as we continue our journey as disciples of Christ. Today, it is commitment Sunday for Our Diocese's Catholic Service Appeal. By contributing to the Catholic Service Appeal, you support different ministries in our Diocese, including ministries that help our own parish and our own parishioners. Hope rising is the theme for our appeal this year, which connects to theme of pilgrims of hope during this Jubilee year of 2025. 

Last weekend, we heard the audio message from Bishop Kopacz about the Catholic Service Appeal. Today, pledge envelopes are available for you. If you have given before in last year’s appeal, you would have gotten a pledge card in the mail. We express our gratitude to all of you who have already submitted their pledge cards. The appeal directly supports 14 vital ministries of our Catholic faith.  Regarding our own parish, the appeal helps pay my health care costs as a priest. It helps support the training program of the diaconate, of which Hunter and Chris are participating. It helps our retired priests in providing their retirement and support for their healthcare, which includes Father McGing. It supports programs for our youth and college students. It supports our parish’s prison ministry. 

If you have not given yet, you can put your pledge in the 2nd collection today in own of the envelopes we have available. Or, in coming weeks, you can put that pledge envelope in the collection basket at any Mass. Our parish has a projected goal for the service appeal. Your timely response will help our parish achieve both our participation and financial goals for this year’s Appeal. We will be updating a poster at the back of the church each week to show our progress toward reaching our parish goal.

On my behalf and on the behalf of Bishop Kopacz, we extend our heartfelt thanks for your support of the Catholic Service Appeal. May God bless you abundantly for your generosity and service to our parish and the wider Church throughout the Diocese of Jackson. Your commitment to helping others is truly appreciated.