Let us Pray:
Saint Patrick of Ireland,
we thank you for bringing the
Gospel to the people of Ireland.
We thank you for your witness.
May we never cease, to proclaim Jesus by
our way of living.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen
The Gospel of Luke 5: 1-11
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; The fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. 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 taught the crowds from the boat. 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.” 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. 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. 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.
For The Feast of Saint Patrick, the Gospel of Luke 5: 1-11 is the passage where Jesus commands Peter and the fishermen to “cast out into the deep.” In the moment, the future Apostles had spent all night fishing and caught nothing, but at the end of this passage: When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were tearing. We see a call to conversion that is only brought by Jesus Christ, himself.
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland not because he is in fact Irish, but because he was sent on a mission by the Holy Spirit to bring Christianity, and the Good News, to Ireland so that others might be called to a conversion. He followed in the obedience, trust, and faith that the early Apostles had in order to go out and “cast into the deep.” St. Patrick would ultimately join Peter, Andrew, and the other fisherman in the mission of becoming “fishers of men.”
Patrick is a well-known Saint across the world. Today, we might celebrate his legacy in ways that are fun and joyous. It is also a challenge for us to celebrate his ultimate mission: believing in Christ and bringing the message of Christ to others.
May there always be work for your hands to do; May your purse always hold a coin or two; May the sun always shine on your window pane; May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; May the hand of a friend always be near you; May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
Let us Pray: O God, you gave Saint Patrick, to the people of Ireland, so that we might come to know you. Grant, we pray, that we will continue to proclaim your deeds to all. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 