God showers us with His blessings (Luke 5:1–11)

Every new year is a special grace that the Lord bestows upon us; we must therefore be grateful and give thanks for this new year and for the blessings it will bring. Every day God renews his blessings, for life in God is filled with blessings, and every liturgical season is an occasion for blessings and graces. At church, during Mass, how many times does the priest bless us? We have our homes, objects and so on blessed.

God’s blessing is like a shower of gifts. But God does not limit Himself to giving us small gifts. It is true that He gives us material goods that delight our senses, like a sweet to a child; yet we know that a child cannot live on sweets alone, otherwise he will not grow; he needs proper nourishment. Thus, God does not limit Himself to satisfying our senses. After bestowing material and human gifts, He gives us His Son: the greatest of all blessings. The greatest and most precious gift. Jesus is the Word of the Father, the Word of God.

The Word of God is the greatest gift we could ever have received. In the passage from Luke 5:1–11, God showers Peter with blessings. Peter had gone fishing; that was his trade. Perhaps he was facing financial difficulties that day? Perhaps he needed money? Yet by morning he had caught nothing. Jesus was there preaching; and He asked Peter for a favour – his boat. Perhaps Peter wanted to go home to his family after that fruitless night? He could have refused to do this for Jesus, as he certainly had his own concerns. But he listened to Jesus. He obeyed Jesus. Jesus did not stop at simply taking his boat; He asked him to put out into deep water and cast his nets; and at that point Peter argued, he reasoned, then he pulled himself together, saying: ‘But at your word, I will cast the nets’. And when he casts the net, he catches a great many fish.

There are times when we complain: ‘I live only for You, Lord; I’ve made so many sacrifices for You, and yet nothing is going right in my life’. We sometimes feel that all the sacrifices we make for Jesus are a waste of time. We feel as though we’re doing too much for him. So this story of the miraculous catch shows us that Jesus is not only concerned with our souls but also with our bodies. Jesus is not indifferent to Peter’s life or to the problems he may face, whether in his work or in his day-to-day life. Jesus sees that Peter is a family man and does not want him to return home empty-handed. Jesus blesses Peter so abundantly, beyond anything he could have imagined, that he calls on his companions to help him with the catch.

Thus, whoever serves Christ is showered with blessings. In fact, they do not lose out, but rather gain. When Jesus took the time to preach from Peter’s boat, one might have got the impression that Peter was wasting his time. But Peter teaches us patience. Sometimes within a group, a community or a parish, there are people who commit themselves, grow spiritually and become active, only to deflate like a balloon afterwards, because they lacked patience. Faced with a few difficulties, they were unable to be patient. Peter, for his part, did not even expect a reward when he served Jesus; yet what blessings flow from his gesture, from his self-surrender. Deuteronomy 28:1–14 speaks to us of the blessings of the righteous. Whether in their work or with their children, who too will be blessed. For parents, their children’s success is often far more important than their own. Obeying God, therefore, brings His blessing upon our children. In this passage on blessings in Deuteronomy 28, he speaks to us of the basket—referring to material possessions—of blessed journeys, of protection, of enemies who will be defeated, and of their plans coming to nothing. God’s providence is there to thwart the plans of the wicked. I thank God for showing me in my own life that being faithful to Him brings me immense blessings.

The Lord showers us with material blessings, but even more so with eternal life. Jesus told Peter to put out into the deep, and he caught a great many fish. Then He called him to follow Him. Peter did not hesitate because he knew he would receive more than just this miraculous catch. Lent is an opportunity to have a profound experience of God. If lived well, it is a source of blessings.

Henri Bayemi