Serious Fishing

You may find the title humorous, especially if you know me (because I have very little experience fishing). However, thanks to my dear fiance, I have a Virginia fishing license and I think I caught something small the last time we went (it's been a few months).

This post is not a how-to on fishing, however. At least, not in a way one might expect.

This post also gives credit to Fr. Brian Bransfield, who works at the USCCB and whose homily (one in the past few weeks) inspired most of these thoughts. Some of them are more his than mine, as often happens when one meditates on the words of a homily.

I want to reflect on the following Scripture from two different perspectives:

"As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him." Mk 1:16-20

First, from the perspective of the perspective of Christ and the men fishing. Why is it that Jesus seems to imply that because these men are good at fishing for real fish, they will also make good fishers of men?

If you have ever gone fishing, you understand there are some basic elements involved. Besides being able to get your bait out into the water without tangling up your line, you need to have some comprehension of the environment you are fishing in, and the fish you are going after. The bait will change based on the fish you are going after. Sometimes the rod even changes. Perhaps for some fishing you need to be in a boat or kayak, while for other fishing it is standard to stand on the side of a lake or river. The one who is hunting in this case, being the fisherman, needs to know what he is hunting for. He needs to be aware of the patterns of behavior of the fish he is going after. I needs to have studied the fish, if he hopes to be successful in catching them. 

We can consider that the soon-to-be Apostles in the Gospel above are good fishermen. They are casting their nets and mending their nets. This means that they are not afraid to pursue what it is that they have set as their goal. They understand what it takes to catch the fish that they desire and they are willing to work so as to accomplish that end. Mending their nets also shows an element of love and patience that is often overlooked in the dynamic of hunting. Men who are strong and who go forth to capture another creature are not often depicted with the tenderness of one who respects the creature being captured. Yet, it is hard not to get a sense of patience and appreciation from the Apostles, who seem to understand that while the fish are food and mere creatures to be captured and cooked, they are also a livelihood and a gift from God. 

Now let us consider these skills in light of Christianity. Those Apostles will bear these same skills of "hunting," fishing, into the new mission they are given by Christ to "go...and make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:18). We see throughout the Acts of the Apostles and the various Letters and Epistles of the New Testament how the Apostles use the strength of knowing those who they are seeking to convert to their advantage. They understand that people are to be met where they are at, and that the Truth of Jesus Christ, being the ONE Truth, encompasses and draws into himself all other truth. Catechism paragraph 819 says, "Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth" are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements." Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him, and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity."

Therefore, those who at one time studied and understood the patterns and way of life of fish, now sought to study and understand the way of life of all people in their various regions and customs, to captivate them with the net that is Christ's Church, with the Truth that all men seek. This is the call to every Christian-Catholic today, to similarly proclaim the One Truth who is Christ while using the skills of understanding and knowledge to invite others through various paths and means. For some, simply being a part of the Liturgy will open their hearts and invite them into the glory that is Christ's life. For others, study and reading and comprehension of the doctrines professed and believed over the centuries will lead to the fiat of faith, saying "yes, Lord, I believe!" For others, it may be the continual witness of mercy and charity of a Christian that disproves the lies of the world and reveals to them a more humble and powerful way of life. The respect for all human life and the disposition of gratitude for life that ought to infect those of us who receive God's mercy in the Sacraments every week should be the stumbling block for those who try to profess what is not true. How can we walk past the humble heart and not be stirred? It is such a contradiction that it should at least draw fascination! This was precisely what Christ did, and how his Apostles learned to imitate his Heart. 

The other perspective I would like to look at is that of the fish. It is one thing to be the fisherman and to anticipate the hunger of the fish, to look into its life and to seek to be waiting for it, to patiently know that it will come to you (which is what God does for us, blessed be his Name!). Yet, this requires something of the fish as well. The system only works is the fish is hungry. One does not find themselves caught and captivated unless they are open to seeing. We do not walk through an art gallery and find our "favorite" painting unless we are there explicitly to look. Likewise, we do not find ourselves moved and in love with a character in a book or movie unless we are purposefully choosing to be open to the story and to the characters! We can even avoid being captivated by beautiful scenery or other natural wonders by simply never going to nature. So we can also choose to not-look for truth, or to be blind to the invitations that surround us. If we are not looking for the bait, than even if the fisherman waits all day, and into the evening, and continues to tempt us with what we should want, we will not even know he is there. 

So as a Christian this is the pivotal moment; can we be both the fish and the fisherman? It is the imperative that we are given at our Baptism, to be the child of God whom he has created us to be, ever meek and humble, ever obedient and grateful, ever thanking and praising him, and yet also empowered by the Spirit and alive in our courage and boldness to proclaim Christ crucified, risen and glorified to the world! We must be recipients of God's mercy before we can authentically proclaim his mercy to others. We must proclaim his mercy to others precisely because we have received grace upon grace. 

During this Advent (and now nearly Christmas!) season, let us consider how Christ the Lord, Second Person of the Blessed Trinity and before all things, uncreated and always with the Father and the Spirit, came and assumed human nature to be like us in all things but sin. As a baby, completely dependent on his Blessed Mother and holy father Joseph, he revealed to us just how dramatic the humility is that we are called to, for none of us can ever achieve that same humility, for it is impossible for us to become like a spec of dust just to meet the dust where it is at. Let us in turn take this joyful gift that we receive at God's hands and proclaim, fearlessly and skillfully, to the world just how free man has become in Christ! Each day is a new opportunity for us to be caught, and to catch some fish.