Reflection/Homily: 5th Sunday in
Ordinary Time Year C
Theme: Here I am Lord, Send Me
The
word “mission” is derived from the Latin verb “missio” meaning to send. That is why I can define a missionary as a
person sent by God to a people and a place to do the will of God among the
people and make the place a better place. This missionary could be sent as a
priest, a prophet, a teacher, a healer or even as a businessman, medical
doctor, labourer, etc.
In
the first reading of last Sunday, we see God sending Jeremiah on mission as a
prophet to the Israelites. In today’s first reading (Isaiah 16:1-8) we also see
God calling Isaiah for a mission as a prophet to the Israelites. In the second
reading (1 Cor. 15:1-11), St Paul discusses the mission he received from Christ
as an Apostle to the nations. In the Gospel reading (Luke 5:1-11), we see
Christ calling Peter and his companions for their mission as fishers of men.
It
is pertinent to note that for mission to take place, there must be an encounter
between the sender and the sent. This encounter is not just a physical
encounter but a meeting with the Divine which leads to transformation and
empowerment. In the first reading Isaiah had this encounter with the Divine in
a trance and his sins were forgiven. In the second reading, Paul’s encounter
with the Divine took place on his way to Damascus and in the Gospel reading,
Peter and his companions encountered Christ by the lake of Gennesaret.
