Selection of the sermons of Father Ezekiel Oko
God`s gracious dealings with us when there seems to be no hope
There are sometimes situations in our lives where we don't know what else to do because we've exhausted all the possibilities. Such situations make us experience what it is like to be unable to do anything to improve our situation. But just where we have reached the limits of our strength and possibilities, God shows us that his grace works best in our weaknesses.
This is exactly what happened to the fishermen Simon Peter and his companions in the gospel, how they worked all night and caught no fish. These fishermen had reached the limits of their skills and knowledge. Giving up and returning home empty-handed would have been the logical decision. But one encounter changed this situation: the encounter with Jesus.
This encounter brought about two important changes in the fishermen's situation:
First, they could broaden their perspective by no longer focusing on their own benefit, but by being willing to help others. Instead of washing their nets and returning home hopelessly, they decided, at Jesus' request, to lend their boat in support of His works and to dwell a little with Jesus. In doing so, they had even promoted the work of salvation of their fellow human beings. This participation sparked her interest again.
Second, they had experienced that - with Jesus by their side - they had become much more fruitful. "Go out where it is deep and cast your nets to catch!" These words, these instructions from Jesus, seem meaningless. Or? But Peter believed him and replied: "Master, we worked all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will cast the nets." By surrendering to Jesus' guidance, they are enabled to catch such a quantity of fish that both boats are filled. God had a purpose for them beyond human logic and ability. But they could only discover this because they paid so much attention to Jesus that their trust in Jesus also grew.
Dear sisters and brothers, where we give our attention to and trust in God, we often see how a seemingly hopeless situation gradually, if not suddenly, changes. Wherever we allow ourselves to be guided by it, we will overcome the experience of human powerlessness and, by broadening our perspectives and interests, we will discover new possibilities and experience new beginnings.
In the Church today we may experience something similar to what Peter and his companions experienced: the impotence of having reached the end of human limitations. The whole world looks to the contributions of priests, bishops, and many others in the Catholic Church, who acknowledge how flawed they are. It now seems as if the importance of priests in the Church has come close to zero. As if everything the Catholic Church stands for could be reduced to cases of abuse.
Many believers might think like Peter and his companions, "We worked all night and caught nothing." It now seems as if many are returning home empty-handed at the end of their service in the Church. I don't know how you are currently experiencing the situation in our church. But for me it's all very painful. Painfully, as a church, our contribution to society is deficient. That many children and young people suffer greatly from this deficiency.
But I won't give up hope. For there is one who has gotten into the boat that we call the Church and is calling us all and telling us to go a little way from land. That means we don't remain trapped in our own security, we don't trust our own knowledge and human abilities and plans, but we listen to Him and trust Him.
Dear sisters and brothers, it is not science that shows us the way of faith, but Jesus, whose saving work has given us the identity as children of God and leads us to the realization of this identity. He has something in store for each of us and for the Church that transcends the shortcomings of our human accomplishments. His gracious dealings with us – this is how Paul described it in today's second reading (cf. 1 Cor 15:10) – will turn everything to good.
Overview