unworthy
No Excuse!
5th Sunday Ordinary Time
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: February 9, 2025
All of you are unworthy. None of you deserves to be a disciple of Jesus. But, you still need to be ready to be sent out as an instrument of God in our world.
This Sunday we see three of the greatest figures in the history of the People of God. Three of the greatest instruments of God in salvation history. The Prophet Isaiah, St. Paul and St. Peter. In each case, they felt their own unworthiness, especially when faced with the holiness of God.
Isaiah has a vision of the holiness of God. The angels cry out, “Holy, holy, holy,…” It is what we declare in the Sanctus at the Mass when we sing, Holy, Holy, Holy,… before the Eucharistic Prayer. After Isaiah experiences the holiness of God he responds, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips;” Isaiah feels that he needs to be cleansed in order to be in the presence of the Holy God. At times many of us struggle with a sense of being unworthy and needing to be cleansed before coming before the Holy God.
St. Paul declares, “I am the least of the Apostles, unfit to be called an Apostle,…” Of course, Paul actually was an enemy of the early church and persecuted the church. Most of us have probably not persecuted the church, but perhaps we have not always supported and been in communion with the church.
St. Peter, after he experiences the great catch of fish, falls down at the knees of Jesus and de-clares, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” How many have I met who feel that their sinful past and their failure to be faithful to the Lord means they should not come to the Lord.
All three of these great figures of the People of God, all three were important instruments in God’s history of salvation. Yet, all three recognized their own unworthiness in the face of the holiness of God. They recognized that they could be nothing of real value without the grace of God.
Despite recognizing their own weakness and failings, each of them were able to respond to the call of God. Isaiah responds, “Here I am; send me!”
Since that time, how many thousands of saints have responded in the same way? “Here I am; send me!” It is the prayer each of us needs to make in our lives. “Here I am; send me.” Then listen to where God is sending you.
St. Paul, after his conversion becomes one who “worked harder than any of the Apostles.” He went from persecuting the church to becoming one of the great evangelists in the history of the church. No matter what your past is, you are able to become an instrument of God today.
St. Peter, who denied Jesus at the time of the crucifixion and recognized his own weakness and failings, is still invited by Jesus who says, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catch-ing people.” It is the word that each of us should hear in our hearts, “Do not be afraid.” I want you to be my instrument in the world.
The church is called to go out into the world. Jesus sends Peter, “put out into the deep water.” The church is not a place to hide from the world, not an escape from the troubles of the world. The church is sent out into the heart of the world to bring God’s healing and peace. The church is not a safe place or refuge from the suffering and brokenness we see in the world. We are sent out like Isaiah, like Paul, like Peter. So, where is the deep water Jesus is sending you?
Look first within your family. Where is healing, forgiveness, peace, the good news of the Gospel needed in your family. Look within your community, where is God sending you as an instrument of grace. Look at our world. Often it seems dark at this moment, the lack of peace, the weak being abused by the powerful. But, we are not able to just ignore it and hide in a ref-uge. God needs instruments in our world today, to work for peace, healing and justice.
Like Isaiah, in your heart make that prayer, “Here I am Lord, send me.” Then watch for where God will send you.
Like Paul, do not be discouraged by your past failings. God will still want to use you today.
Like Peter, do not let your sense of being unworthy be an obstacle to you being a disciple of Jesus.
Be ready to be sent out by God into the deep waters of our world. Hear Jesus speaking to you as he did to Peter, “Do not be afraid.” In prayer reflect: Where are you being called to be an instrument of God?
Here I Am, Send Me
5th Sunday Ordinary Time
Fr. Mark Gatto
Have you ever had a powerful experience of God? We just heard two accounts of mystical experiences of being in the presence of the Holy.
The Prophet Isaiah in the Temple in Jerusalem. He describes an experience of the holiness of God. He hears the Seraphs calling out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts,” Today when we celebrate the Eucharist we make this same acclamation in the Sanctus, “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts,” as we prepare to be in the presence of the Holy God in Holy Communion.
Isaiah is overwhelmed before the sense of the transcendent, holy God. He feels so unworthy in the presence of the Holy One. But, the Seraph touches his mouth with a fiery coal taken from the altar and he is told that his guilt has departed and his sin is blotted out. With this experience of encountering the Holy God, the Prophet Isaiah hears the call sending him out to be an instrument of God. Isaiah responds with a prayer that each of us could use every day, “Here am I, send me.”
The second mystical experience of being in the presence of God takes place in the Gospel. Peter experiences the Holiness of God, not in the Temple, but in the presence of Jesus. Like Isaiah,
Peter’s first reaction is a sense of being unworthy. “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Jesus answers him, “Do not be afraid.” Then Peter is given a mission, he is sent out. He leaves everything and follows Jesus and is told that from now on he will be catching people.
There are two things we can learn about our own personal encounter with the Holy God. First, do not give in to the sense of guilt, the sense of being a sinful person, that makes you think that you could not be welcome in the presence of God. The Lord will speak in your heart, Do not be afraid, your sin is blotted out.
Secondly, we need to listen to where God is sending us. Where are you and I being sent to be an instrument of God. Perhaps within your own family. Is there need to bring healing, to bring peace, to bring forgiveness, to bring hope, right within our own home, within your family?
Perhaps where you work or where you study? Is there someone who is hurting, someone who is discouraged, someone who is alone? You may be the one person being sent by God to bring hope and healing and peace.
Take a moment of silence right now, close your eyes. Imagine yourself in the presence of the Holy God. Imagine yourself in the presence of Jesus. At this moment, where would you be sent to be an instrument of God? Where may you be sent to bring the presence of the holy God to others, through your kindness, your forgiveness, your goodness?
When Peter and the Apostles come ashore, they had been fishing all night. They had caught nothing. They would have been discouraged, they would have been without hope. Jesus sends them out saying, “Put out into the deep.” Jesus gives them hope, they do go out again and make an incredible catch.
The church today has many reasons to be discouraged, to be lacking in hope. The constant negative news about residential schools and abuse cases. The past two years of Covid restrictions which has led to isolation for many and a struggle for us to be together. Many of our parishioners that I have not seen for much of these two years. We need to hear Jesus sending us out, “Put out into the deep.”
What gives you hope in these times? I sense that many of our priests are also struggling in these days. What is my greatest source of hope and encouragement? Where do I as a parish priest experience the presence of the holy God in my life? One definite place is Sunday morning in this parish. When I am greeting you the people of our parish. Saying hello, speaking with you, and then praying together in the Eucharist. By the end of Sunday Masses, no matter how I was feeling before Sunday, I always feel a sense of hope, a sense of encouragement. I sense the presence of the Holy God, the presence of Jesus, through you. Also, through many parishioners not able to come out now when I speak with them by phone.
Holy, Holy, Holy, we are to open our hearts to encounter the holy God like Isaiah and like Peter. Do not give in to fear or guilt that keeps you away from God. Then be ready to be sent out to be an instrument of God. Make your prayer the prayer of Isaiah, “Here am I, send me.”