By Monsignor Rob Kinnally
When I was a kid, one of my favorite summer vacation activities was going fishing with my dad. The early morning adventure began with searching for worms: no glittery store-bought bait for us! The best harvests took place after a good soaking rain because no digging was required. My mom would supply the empty deli container to store the wiggly creatures, and my dad would prepare a thermos of hot chocolate. After placing our fishing rods in the cavernous trunk of our ’62 Chevy Impala, we headed to the lake. On the short ride to our fishing adventures, I would dream of a bountiful catch and looked forward to bragging once we returned to the house. Upon arriving at our fishing spot, we hooked the worms, and cast our lines into the lake. I painstakingly applied every lesson my dad taught me about casting, moving the rod gently, and waiting – keeping perfectly still until I felt the tug of the line. The rising sun warming the cool morning air and the mounting anticipation of the quintessential “great catch” was a moment of pure childhood joy. Alas, the fish we caught were very few and very small. But that didn’t matter to my dad who had an amazing way of making me feel like a champ while I reeled in the tiniest of fish – some smaller than the guppies I had in my fish tank at home. “Good catch, Rob!” he would exclaim; and if he had his prized Kodak camera with him, the “catch” was preserved for a lifetime on the refrigerator door. For me, the lack of a prized haul of fish was overshadowed by the grace-filled time I spent with my dad on those misty summer mornings on the lake.
In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5, verses 1 to 11, the fishermen in the story are having a lackluster morning of fishing; but as soon as Jesus shows up, the story changes: the grace-filled presence of Jesus transforms disappointment into the joy of an abundant catch. Peter is awestruck as he realizes exactly who Jesus is and instantaneously deems himself unworthy: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Peter’s companions are equally as astonished at the miraculous catch of fish. Jesus responds with words of consolation and challenge: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And then we are told that “when they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.” These new disciples abandoned what they knew and followed Jesus – not because he worked a miracle, but because they realized that he offers the great gift of transforming grace. They abandon any fear of the unknown to walk with someone who would teach them how to live in the truth, with hope, relying on the grace-filled presence of God to get things done.
The lesson is essential to navigating life: God loves us in moments of triumph, disappointment, and even flat-out failure. Because Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we should never be afraid to walk with Him or “go fishing” with Him. His grace is enough to transform our fears into courageous moments of speaking truth and acting in love for the sake of the Gospel and for the good of our brothers and sisters. He will give us what we need to have a good day of fishing. And a good day of fishing is sharing what we have experienced about Him with others. The fruits of our labors of God-inspired love will bear abundant fruit in hearts that are mended, souls that are strengthened, and lives that finally know peace. When we go fishing with Jesus, our doubts, fears, insecurities, and feelings of unworthiness are washed away in the wave of grace-filled gift of Jesus himself. Having received such a gift, we can heal and help others without fear of failing.
In sum, I would say that I followed in my dad’s footsteps not because he was a great fisherman, but because he taught me how to love. I would follow him anywhere.
Monsignor Rob Kinnally is a pastor at Saint Aloysius Parish in New Canaan.
