READINGS FOR THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C, SUNDAY 6TH FEBRUARY, 2022.

First Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8

Psalm: 137

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Gospel: Luke 5:1-11

REFLECTION BY FR. CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM

A CALL FOR THE RE-AWAKENING OF OUR FAITH

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Life is a mystery. Our human existence is also a mystery. Our vocation in life is often a mystery. We can and should certainly believe that God is at the centre of all our mysteries in life, in some mysterious way. Indeed, God is good. God is goodness himself. All things are possible for God and for all who put their trust in Him. God is omnipotent. God continues to re-awaken our faith in some mysterious way.

Following God is a higher vocation which all of us who are baptised are called to be proud to profess. To follow God completely entails that we shall not live or act in ways that compromise our call to discipleship, in ways that contradict our Christian faith and values. The call of Isaiah, Peter and Paul can be seen as a clear example of that. They experienced God in some unfathomable ways. They put their hope and trust in God in their journey of faith. The experiences of Isaiah, Peter and Paul are clear examples of a good result coming from what could have only appeared as a total disaster in human standards.

Experience has shown that each of us has a unique call in life. Each of us is unique. Each of us has a call which no one else can fulfil. This is why God has a different call for each of us at different stages of our lives.

In our First and Second Readings, Isaiah and Paul express their unworthiness to be called by God. Irrespective of their unworthiness, they realised their need for total dependence on God’s grace which inspired their missionary activities. They had a radical change and an expression of deep faith in God.

We recall in today’s Gospel, how Jesus called the fishermen, Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow him. The Gospel says that “they left their nets and followed him.” (Luke 5: 1-11). These men made a wholehearted response to Christ’s invitation. They let go their previous prestigious job and experienced a re-awakening that moved into a new way of living in Christ.

As Christians, we are invited to follow Jesus Christ with deep commitment, courage and conviction. Following Jesus Christ means entering into a personal relationship with him and valuing his teachings. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are urged not to allow division and narrow mindedness, prevent us from being a witness and light to others.

We are called to become the person God calls us to be. Our response to God’s invitation must be immediate, decisive and genuine. When we follow Jesus Christ genuinely and with faith our lives will never remain the same. Jesus Christ continues to call us to follow him. Are we ready to leave our “nets” and follow Jesus Christ the true light?

We pray that our encounters with God may re-awaken our faith and trust to accept His call with thanks. We also pray that we may realize God’s presence everywhere and in everyone to the glory of God. Amen.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM