The Feast of St. Patrick the Patron St. of Nigeria

 The Homily of Wednesday in Fourth Week of Lent Year B, 17th March, 2021

The Feast of St. Patrick the Patron St. of Nigeria

Readings: 1Peter 4:7-11 , Ps. 96, Luke 5:1-11

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

THE MISSION FROM FISHERMEN TO FISHERS OF MEN

There is something deep and unique about every person, sometimes it takes personal experience to discover this uniqueness. I don't know if you have ever had an experience that made you realize the emptiness of this life, a kind of experience that turns your pride into humility, sinfulness into righteousness. This is the kind of experience that Simon had with Jesus in our Gospel passage today, that made him realize his emptiness and fell at the knees of Jesus confessing his unworthiness. 

This is because Jesus had said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.’ ‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.’ And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signaled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them. When Simon Peter saw this he fell at the knees of Jesus saying, ‘Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’ But Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch.’ 

 This very encounter brought true conversion in the lives of Simon and his companion, for this encounter changed their destiny and mission from fishermen to fishers of men. For they obeyed the Lord who told them to put out into the deep waters, and as soon as they followed his instructions, they netted so much fish that the whole boat could not take it. This glorious event manifested the power and grace of God at work in us especially when we humble ourselves.

 

Dear friends, today we celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick, a great missionary who understood what it mean to be fishers of men like Simon and his brothers. He was known for his personal experience of the Lord in a vision, in which he was asked to go and evangelize the people of Ireland where he came from. This he successfully carried out and this brought about the Irish missionaries who later became a major force in the spreading of the Gospel all over the world and Nigeria and most African countries are beneficiaries of this great sacrificial mission.  

Therefore, as we celebrate St Patrick, we are called to reflect on our personal encounter with God. How have we personally experience God? When was our spiritual turning point? Do we have a personal conviction about God that does not based on what people have told us about him? In case we have not personally encountered him, all we need to do is to sincerely seek God in those common events in our lives. Then, we will realize how much God is willing to reveal himself to us. For we heard in our first reading, that each one of us has received a special gift and as good stewards of God’s different grace, we must render our service to one another ungrudgingly to the glory of God.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, everyday is an opportunity to encounter you through different events that occur in our lives. Grant that we may have a personal encounter of you just like Simon and his companion and through the intercession of St. Patrick, may we experience you in a unique way in our daily activities and through this experience discover our purpose in life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.