Unworthy in the sight of God

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Leave me Lord for I am a sinful man” is the words that we hear Peter say to the Lord in the gospel today: One thing that we have lost in recent years in the sense of sin. I think one of the reasons this is because we live in a society that thinks of self rather than others around them. 

The “I” culture is paramount which leads us  worryingly to a  trend that is the faceless culture. These are people who conduct all their interaction either by text or by cyber communities and  I use the word community very loosely. “Because I do not see the person” they may say, "I can do whatever I like or say whatever I like". It is a coward’s way out. I have even known marriages to have ended over a text message or a conversation on Facebook. Gradually we are losing our sense of real community and therefore losing our sense of sin.

When there is no more a sense of God in our society then there is an eradication of the sense of sin. When we are more worried about ourselves rather than others we loose perspective.  They both go hand in hand. 

When we get the sense of God then we get an over whelming sense of being unworthy in his sight. This is what had happened to Peter. He had been working all day without much reward and yet the Lord asked him to cast his nets into the deep and they had a very big catch.  Moaning about it Peter does it and then the catch comes back so big that the boats are too breaking point. He lacked trust in the Lord. He not ware of God being close to him. He was in fact caught up in self.

From this point of Peter moaning about the work he was doing too the realization of his unworthiness he could then see that in fact he had failed in understanding about who Jesus was. 

Before we receive the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament we say “Lord I am not worthy” We are not worthy to receive and hold Christ. We recognize that we are sinners and yet we are able to receive the Lord who loves us.

One of the most intriguing parts of the Gospel is the last few lines. Jesus recognizes our unworthiness and our sinfulness and yet he still calls us to be fishers of men. He calls us for mission. Last week I was at an ordination of a friend of mine part of the Mass the person who will be ordained lies prostrate on the floor in humble submission to the Lord. Looking at this I was reminded of my own ordination 10 years ago but my own unworthiness for mission.  The Lord does not call the perfect people for mission he calls sinners he calls you and me. This is why community and coming to Church is important, it strengthens supports and helps us for our important mission that we have been given by virtue of our baptism. It is here that we get close to God and through this we are able to say “Leave me Lord I am a sinful man” But with your help with your love I can do your will.

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