First Reading - Colossians 1:9-14
Gospel - Luke 5:1-11
Do we know God? The purpose of our life, for which God created us, as CCC states is "to know, to love, to serve and to adore God." The readings of the day highlight the importance of knowing God and invite us closer to Him every day.
The first reading mentions about the importance of knowing God. The knowledge that St. Paul speaks about is different from having information about God but being in an intimate union with God. The knowledge of God means sharing a very special encounter with God which leads to live a worthy life and grow in perseverance. Why we are encouraged to live a worthy life? It's because the encounter with God gives us desire to live our lives in a manner pleasing to God, thus this desire results in our worthy life; in our encounter with God, we experience abounding love of God. This encounter with God guides us to persevere in our lives. This encounter gives us hope and courage that God walks with us and guides us, hence all trials and challenges of our lives don't overwhelm us.
The gospel tells a beautiful account of the call of Peter, James and John. The call precedes the preaching of Jesus and a great miraculous catch of fish. They were the means of the encounter with Jesus for Peter, James and John. They encountered Jesus and experienced their weaknesses or sinfulness, particularly Peter. This was the experience of unworthiness before a divine presence. However, with this unworthiness, he and others are called to a new life to lead others to the experience and encounter of God in Jesus.
Dear friends, we are to know God. The knowledge of God works in us in two ways. Firstly, by encouraging us to live a worthy life and life in perseverance. Secondly, this knowledge of God makes us face our unworthiness before divine presence. This unworthiness helps us see that we need grace of God to live our worthy life and persevere in it.
How can we know God or encounter Him? It's by reading the Word of God, participating in the Sacraments, seeing in every person the image of God as everyone is created in the image and likeness of God, and observing the creation (as St. Francis of Assisi did) etc. Let's not miss any occasion to encounter God in our lives as He has opened a wide horizon for us, so that we may know Him and be overwhelmed by the love of Him to live our life worthily and persevere through every thick and thin of our lives.
May God fill us with His knowledge.
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