Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings of the Day 

When Jesus called Simon and his brother Andrew to become his followers, they were fishing, casting their nets into the waters of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus called to them, and with open hearts they left their nets and their lives and followed Him. Jesus said to them, “I will make you fishers of people.”  

I wonder if Pope Francis thought about this passage in Mark’s Gospel when he decided, in 2013, that the first pastoral visit of his papacy would be to Lampedusa, a small island off the coast of Sicily, to pray for refugees who lost their lives at sea and to speak candidly about what he calls “the global indifference” to the refugee crisis.

The pope could have made his first trip to anywhere in the world, but he chose to go to Lampedusa after he heard this story: A boat of refugees capsized off the coast of Sicily. Like all the refugee boats that leave the shores of Tunisia, this boat was overflowing with people seeking safety in Europe. After the boat capsized near Lampedusa, several refugees, swimming for their lives, came upon a fishing boat and they clung to the fishing nets attached to the boat. After a while, the fishermen – unwilling to be fishers of people – cut the nets loose and sent at least 10 people to their death. Many of the bodies were never recovered. 

Pope Francis said the reason for his visit to Lampedusa was threefold. He said he came there, “to pray, to make a gesture of closeness, but also to reawaken our consciences so that what happened would not be repeated.” 

The Gospel truth, which was at the heart of Pope Francis’ visit, is this: Each and every person on this earth is worthy of being fished for. Nobody should be placed beneath profit or convenience. No one should be discarded.

On that day by the Sea of Galilee when Jesus called Simon and Andrew, he not only called them into his ministry, but he also called them into a new way of thinking, a new way of seeing, a new way of being. 

We are, each of us, first and foremost, God’s beloved. And with beloved-ness as our birthright, we are all worthy of love, mercy, and dignity. May we continually be reawakened to this truth. And may this truth guide us in everything.

Sarah Granger is Senior Development Advisor at Catholic Charities Oregon. She credits Fr. Daniel Groody, C.S.C. for introducing her to the significance of Pope Francis’ visit to Lampedusa.