If He Tells a Man to Fish

The team has been feverishly preparing for an upcoming conference we are hosting for bishops on “shepherding a Millennial flock.” There’s extensive research out there about the number of ways companies and organizations are changing to meet the needs of America’s newest largest living generation. In our preparations, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about what adaptations are good and which are playing into unhealthy dynamics. Admittedly, the tension had me distracted yesterday during Sunday Mass. In our family debrief of the Gospel afterwards, I was asked by 5-year old Peter our simple question “what’d ya hear?” I told him that I loved the Gospel where Jesus tells Peter to throw his net to the other side of the boat, because sometimes we need to try different things. Peter gave me an acceptable nod. I assumed, “Is that what you heard too Pete?” As he ran to say hi to a friend, he yelled, “Nah, I heard you gotta do what Jesus tells you.”

As I refined my content for the upcoming week, I had to ask myself, in navigating the tension of what my generation needs versus what we want, did I ever ask what God asks of us? My answer came with a little more guilt than I would have liked. Good tactics only go so far. The tactics that pour forth from discerning the voice of the Lord among our wants and our needs is where we know the catch will overflow. Godspeed (and God’s voice) in casting your net this week.