In our Gospel today we see Jesus first speaking the Word and then advising Peter where to fish to find abundance. He then tells them that they will now be fishers of men. Standing among the abundance of fish which almost sank the boats and hearing his Word and being amazed by Jesus, that must have been heady stuff indeed.
This recruiting actions begins his community. And the miracles and impression Jesus made we can also find in our world. Jesus does bring his word to us too…and he can bring abundance in a worldly manner and then turn that blessing into greater discipleship.
He calls us where he finds us. We receive his Word in our hearts and we are transformed and a light burns within us. We are fertile ground for returning or sharing those blessings. And when he calls us, we recognize his voice and begin our life as followers.
The Gospel today is a model for how he even today calls us. The Word is first, he shows us who he is and we are changed…then we are asked to follow and change others.
St Gregory followed that call and we can read his story below. He became a Father of the Church and a Saint.
We too are called to sainthood and it is by answering that call with his Word in our heart we find the way. The path he has set before us. To decline the call is to hear and understand but step off the path and choose another way. This is not the way for us called to holiness so we must discern decisions and choices with the Word of God as our guide. He will keep us safe and protect us if we follow the way.
Where are we in our journey to sainthood?
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September 3
Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church
Memorial
“But that man is lame who does indeed see in what direction he ought to go, but, through infirmity of purpose, is unable to keep perfectly the way of life which he sees, because, while unstable habit rises not to a settled state of virtue, the steps of conduct do not follow with effect the aim of desire. Hence it is that Paul says, ‘Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed…’”(Heb 12:12-13). [1]
St. Gregory the Great was born in Rome in 540 A.D. Raised among saints, his father was an official in the Church and his mother and two aunts were extremely devout, later becoming canonized. The family was aristocratic, famous for owning vast estates and participating in Roman government. St. Gregory’s education was steeped in law, religion, grammar, rhetoric, and affairs of the republic. By age 30, he held one of the most important offices for a young man, a Roman prefect, yet gave it up to become a monk. After his father’s death, he bequeathed the family’s estates, creating seven monasteries, and retreated to religious life. Within four years, the pope commissioned him to Constantinople as deacon and ambassador. Within a decade, he returned to Rome and resumed running the monasteries as abbot. But after the death of Pope Pelagius II, St. Gregory was elected his successor. At this time, church and state were at the apex of their medieval power. St. Gregory took his place to rule over the ecclesiastical sphere, a lofty task. His skills in government, estate management, finance, and staff leadership shined. St. Gregory leveraged his papal authority, forming relations with the churches in Spain, Gaul, Africa, Britain, as well as the Eastern Churches. He developed a code of life for bishops and began a rigorous preaching routine. His homilies drew massive crowds as they used rich anecdotes and practical metaphors. Diligent until the end, he wrote extensively on spiritual works, penning thousands of letters, sermons, and commentaries. St. Gregory is honored as one of the Four Great Doctors of the Church along with St’s Augustine, Ambrose and Jerome. [2][3]
Written by Sarah Ciotti
While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,
he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”
Simon said in reply,
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,
but at your command I will lower the nets.”
When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish
and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him
and all those with him,
and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
who were partners of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men.”
When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
Deacon Tony Pynes 
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