Thursday 1 September 2022

Today is Thursday 1st September, in the 22nd week of Ordinary Time.



Luke Parker sings, ‘Sweet Surrender’. Do you need to surrender something to the Lord today?

In my weakness You are strong
You hold my hand and hold my heart
I give it away now, I am on my knees
Offering all I am for You to see
I am thirsty for Your presence Lord
Sweet surrender is all I can give
Sweet surrender to You my offering
Jesus, You're all I'm living for
Holding on to You my Friend, my all
In Your fullness I am free
Help me Jesus to receive
In the secret place I'm on my knees
Reaching the deepest parts for You to see
Oh, I am thirsty for Your presence Lord
Sweet surrender is all I can give
Sweet surrender to You my offering
Jesus, You're all I'm living for
Holding on to You my Friend, my all
There is nothing more
There is nothing more I have
There is nothing more
There is nothing more I can give
There is nothing more
There is nothing more I have
There is nothing more I have to give
Sweet surrender is all I can give
Sweet surrender to You my offering
Jesus, You're all I'm living for
Holding on to You my Friend, my all

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 5:1-11

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Today's reading will be read with regular pauses to enable us to enter into an imaginative encounter.

To begin with, listen to the sound of your own breathing.


Now, imagine that you are standing on the shore of Galilee. Listen to the rhythm of the waves lapping on the shoreline.

Notice these fisherman, washing their nets, what do they look like? What are they talking about?

Watch Jesus as he boards the boat. How far out from the shore does he go?

Who is around you as you listen to Jesus? What is it like to be there, listening to him.

Watch Simon as he takes his boats out into deeper water, what do you notice about his attitude? His gestures?

These boats are so full that they begin to sink. What are the fisherman doing and saying? Shouting to one another perhaps?

Observe Peter, who has fallen to the knees of Jesus. What moves you as you see them together?

Imagine that you join Simon, James and John as they drag their boats to the shore.


Keep walking with them as they walk away from these boats with Jesus, as the sound of the sea becomes quieter.


Is there anything you would like to say to Jesus in response to today's encounter?

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.