Luke 5:1-11
Jesus chose fishermen as his first disciples because most of them possess qualities necessary to become effective fishers of men and women. First of these qualities is the virtue of patience. In today's gospel, we hear Peter saying, “Lord, we have worked all night, yet we caught nothing.” Fishermen are ready to work hard and for a long time in order to catch fish.
Catching people is not an easy thing to do. By experience in the family and in society, we know for a fact that teaching individuals the moral path is quite tough. People would find it difficult to recognize the truth, especially if they are driven by pride and selfish interests. A disciple would need a great deal of patience in order to succeed in converting people to God.
The virtue of patience is needed not only in catching people but also in taking control of our personal selves. Becoming a true Christian is a life-long process. We need patience and, of course, the grace of God, to deal with our own human frailties.
