20260903 Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

[그리움하나]

(1 Cor 3:18-23; Lk 5:1-11): At Your Command, I Will Lower the Nets

Dear brothers and sisters, today, we celebrate the Holy Mass honoring the holy life of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church, a great teacher and true shepherd of the Church. In the late sixth century, when the entire city of Rome was plunged into chaos by war and famine, Saint Gregory ascended the Papal Throne and governed the Church with profound humility, referring to himself as the “Servant of the servants of God” (Servus Servorum Dei). Although he was an outstanding administrator and a scholar who reorganized the liturgy and sacred music (Gregorian Chant), the guiding force of his life was always prayer, contemplation, and an ardent love for the poor. Today’s Word of God reminds us of what it truly means to possess the “humility before God” and “total obedience to the Lord” that Saint Gregory cherished in his heart throughout his life.

In the First Letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 3:18), Saint Paul offers us a warm yet firm exhortation: “If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise.”

At times, we strive endlessly to prove our own experience, knowledge, and strength just to be recognized by the world. When those efforts fall short, we often suffer wounds to our self-esteem. Before God, however, the abilities and cleverness we have built up can actually become obstacles that block His grace. To lay down our own wisdom and willingly become a “fool” before God—that is, to humbly acknowledge our limitations—is the very first step toward allowing God’s true wisdom to abide within us.

Saint Peter, too, was a seasoned, veteran fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. He was an expert who knew better than anyone where the fish were and when to cast the nets. Yet, as recorded in Luke 5:5, he confessed: “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing…” On that night, his expertise yielded no results at all.

These empty nets represent more than just a lack of fish; they reveal the fundamental emptiness we experience when we try to navigate our lives relying solely on our own power and experience.

It was precisely at that moment that Jesus approached him and said: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” (Lk 5:4)

According to a fisherman’s common sense, heading out into deep water in the morning sunlight made no practical sense. Nevertheless, Peter laid down his pride and knowledge as a fisherman and obeyed the Lord’s word: “…but at your command I will lower the nets.” (Lk 5:5)

When we set aside our own will and experience to lower our nets “at the command of the Lord,” the divine mystery and abundance that transcend human limits begin to fill Peter’s boat.

Faced with this wondrous miracle, Peter’s response was not arrogance over receiving such a grand blessing. Instead, as we see in verse 8, he fell at the knees of Jesus and offered a deep confession of repentance: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

It was a merciful moment of transformation, a moment when he finally realized his own weakness and faults in the light of the Holy Lord. From that place of profound humility, the Lord did not abandon Peter; rather, He embraced him warmly and entrusted him with a mission, saying: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” (Lk 5:10)

My dear brothers and sisters, The Lord does not call perfect and brilliant people to entrust them with His work. He comes to us when we are exhausted from pulling up empty nets after striving all night, when we feel powerless before the deep oceans of life that we cannot navigate on our own.

Today, let us return to that spirit of humility shown by Saint Gregory the Great, who lowered his exalted status and title to become the “Servant of the servants of God.” Let us set aside the world’s wisdom that claims “I know everything,” and welcome Jesus into the boat of our lives. Let us recall our true identity as Saint Paul proclaims in First Corinthians: “…and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” (1 Cor 3:23)

When we obey the Lord’s word and lower our nets into the deep places of our lives, the Lord will abundantly fill our empty boats with His grace and warmly use us as instruments of salvation for the world. During this Holy Mass, let us pray for the courageous faith and humility to lower our nets according to the Lord’s command. Amen.