Breath
Close your eyes for a minute.
Let us begin by focusing on our breath.
Make your out-breath longer than your in-breath.
Repeat this eight times.
Bell and Candle
As we ring our bell and light our candle, we pray that God is with us.
Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Video
Watch the scene “Jesus calls Peter in The Chosen”.
Reflection
In The Chosen, Jesus’ calling of Simon Peter powerfully shows that God does not wait for people to become perfect before calling them—He calls them in the middle of their brokenness. Simon is introduced not as a heroic future apostle, but as a deeply flawed and exhausted man. He is hot?tempered, impulsive, and drowning in debt after being coerced into betraying fellow Jews to the Romans. Because of this, he is ashamed, blacklisted, and barely able to provide for his wife, Eden. Spiritually and emotionally, Simon sees himself as a failure, which makes him an unlikely candidate for a divine mission.Jesus enters Simon’s life at this lowest point. After Simon has worked all night and caught nothing, Jesus asks to use his boat to teach the crowds. Then, against all logic and fishing experience, Jesus instructs Simon to go back out and lower the nets again. Simon openly admits that this makes no sense—he knows the lake, and he knows there are no fish—but he obeys anyway. This small act of obedience does not come from confidence or righteousness, but from weariness and desperation. Still, it is enough for Jesus to work through.
The miraculous catch that follows is overwhelming. The nets fill so completely that they begin to break, and the boats nearly sink. This moment is not only a demonstration of Jesus’ authority over creation; it meets Simon’s most pressing need. The fish would be enough to clear his debts and restore his life. By doing this, Jesus shows Simon that He understands his struggles before Simon ever explains them. Grace comes first, before repentance or commitment.
The most important moment comes when Jesus addresses Simon personally. He calls him “Shimon” and repeats a private prayer Simon once prayed in anguish, asking God to see him despite his failures. This reveals that Jesus knows Simon fully—his sins, his shame, his compromises—and still chose to come to him. Simon is undone. He falls to his knees, confessing his unworthiness and asking Jesus to leave, echoing the biblical words: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” Simon assumes that holiness demands perfection.
Jesus responds with compassion, not condemnation. He tells Simon, “Do not be afraid,” and then invites him into a new identity: “From now on, you will be catching men.” Jesus does not deny Simon’s imperfection; instead, He calls him anyway. The calling is not based on who Simon is at that moment, but on who he can become through relationship with Jesus.
This scene makes a clear statement: Jesus does not call the qualified—He qualifies the called. Peter is chosen precisely because he is real, flawed, and willing to be honest about his need. His imperfection does not disqualify him; it becomes the starting point for transformation. Through Peter’s calling, The Chosen shows that grace comes before greatness, and purpose begins not with perfection, but with surrender.
Questions for Reflection
- Why does Jesus approach Simon at his lowest point?
- How does obedience in doubt challenge your understanding of faith?
- What does the miracle reveal about Jesus and human needs?
- How does Jesus knowing Simon’s prayer change his identity?
- Why does Simon confess instead of celebrate?
- What does this teach about grace?
- How might Jesus be calling people today?
Calling of the Early Marists
The calling of Peter in The Chosen closely parallels the call of the early Marists because, like Peter, they were ordinary, imperfect people who were called at moments of uncertainty and weakness rather than readiness or confidence. Peter is chosen while burdened by failure, fear, and shame, yet Jesus sees his potential and calls him anyway. In the same way, the early Marists were not powerful church figures or polished leaders; they were people searching for direction in a time of social, political, and spiritual upheaval after the French Revolution.Marcellin Champagnat felt overwhelmed by the poverty and struggle with learning at school and doubted his ability to respond to need plight of children with no knowledge of God, yet he trusted that God was calling him to act anyway—just as Peter trusted Jesus enough to cast the nets again. Jeanne Marie Chavoin uncertainty when invited to join other religious orders, but like Peter, she continued to believe God was still calling her to a Marian way of living and service. Jean Claude Colin, often hesitant and cautious, felt unworthy and unsure of leadership, yet gradually accepted the call to found a hidden, humble community that mirrored Mary’s quiet faith. François Perroton, sent on a dangerous mission to Oceania with little preparation, when John Claude Colin did not fully approve, echoed Peter leaving his nets—stepping into the unknown with trust rather than certainty.
In both Peter’s call and the Marist call, the key message is the same: God does not call the perfect; God perfects those who respond. Jesus tells Peter “Do not be afraid,” and similarly, the early Marists learned to move forward despite fear, failure, and doubt. Their lives show that vocation is not about having everything figured out, but about saying yes, trusting that God will work through weakness to bring about something far greater than imagined.
Further Questions
- How does Peter’s imperfection mirror the Marists?
- How did trust shape their response?
- How does humility reflect Jesus’ call?
- What fears did they overcome?
- What does this teach about vocation?
Prayers of the Faithful
- We pray, for our communities, that like Jesus calling Peter, it may continue to recognise and nurture the gifts of imperfect and struggling people, trusting God’s grace to work through weakness.Lord, hear us.
- We pray, for those in our lives who feel exhausted, ashamed, or overwhelmed by failure, that they may hear Jesus say, “Do not be afraid,” and discover new hope and purpose in their lives.Lord, hear us.
- We pray, For all who are burdened by debt, stress, or uncertainty about the future, that God may meet their deepest needs and remind them that they are seen, known, and loved.Lord, hear us.
- We pray, for those discerning their vocation, especially within the Marist family, that like Peter, Champagnat, Chavoin, Colin, and Perroton, they may trust God’s call even when they feel unready or unworthy.Lord, hear us.
- We pray, for the courage to obey God in small and difficult moments, especially when faith feels costly or illogical, that our simple “yes” may allow God to do great things.Lord, hear us.
- We pray, for all who serve quietly and humbly, following Mary’s example, that they may know their hidden faithfulness helps build God’s Kingdom in powerful ways.Lord, hear us.
- We pray, we may be open to transformation, allowing God’s grace to shape us as it shaped Peter and the early Marists, and send us out to serve others with compassion and trust.Lord, hear us.
Music Reflection
Pause and listen to “Oceans”.
Final Prayer
Loving God,
we come before you grateful for the way you call us, not from places of perfection, but from moments of weakness, doubt, and struggle. As you called Simon Peter in the midst of exhaustion and failure, help us trust that you see us fully—our sins, our fears, and our hopes—and still invite us to follow you.
Lord Jesus, step into the boats of our lives. Teach us to listen when you speak, especially when your call challenges our logic or comfort. Give us the courage to lower our nets again, even when we feel tired, unsure, or unworthy. May we learn, like Peter, that obedience opens the door for grace, and that your compassion is greater than our failures.
We thank you for the witness of the early Marists—Marcellin Champagnat, Jeanne Marie Chavoin, Jean Claude Colin, and François Perroton—who trusted your call amid uncertainty and fear. Through their humility and faith, show us how to say yes with simplicity and trust.
Transform us, O God. Quiet our fears, renew our purpose, and shape our hearts so that we may serve others with love. Remind us always that you do not call the perfect, but you perfect those who are willing to follow.
Amen.
Closing
Bell and Candle
As we ring our bell and light our candle, we pray that God is with us.
Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Extension Activity |
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