Listening and learning from the wisdom of others
Luke 5:1-11 While the
crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was
standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake;
the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of
the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance
from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he
had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower
your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all
night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When
they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were
tearing.
Several
years ago someone asked Msgr. Richard Oswald what it takes to become a
“monsignor.” He gave a very memorable reply. He said: “You have to surround
yourself with very talented people, and then let them do what they do best.”
Obviously, that’s why I haven’t become a monsignor yet: I’m still looking for
those talented people! (Just kidding.) In other words, being a monsignor is not
like being a “king” who tells others what to do. Rather, it’s more like being a
“servant” who listens to others and learns from their wealth of wisdom.
Sitting in
parish council meetings, the pastor may not always have the best idea; it may
be the maintenance man, who has the stroke of genius, and a wise pastor, a
monsignor, knows to listen and learn from others. John Maxwell, the highly
regarded leadership expert, said, “Every idea is a good idea, until you find
the best idea.” A monsignor knows others may have better ideas than him and he
learns from them.
In the
gospel today, Peter is also learning to listen to the wisdom of others,
especially to Jesus. Peter is a professional fisherman, and a successful one,
too, because he has others working on his crew. And after fishing all night
without a bite, they’re ready to “call it a day.” But Jesus comes along and
gives him some fishing advice, saying, “Put out into the deep and lower your
nets for a catch.” Now, that could have come across as insulting, suggesting
that Peter doesn’t know his trade. But Peter doesn’t take it that way. He
answers: “Master, we have worked hard all night, and have caught nothing, but
at your command I will lower the nets.” What happens? Peter learns not only how
to catch mackerel and mahi mahi, but men and women. You see, by listening and
learning from others, Peter didn’t become a monsignor, he became the pope.
“Every idea is a good idea until you find the best idea,” and often others have
the best ideas.
You know,
you may not want to be a monsignor, but you must still learn from others. The
Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches we must obey our conscience (we have
to do what we think is right), but it adds very importantly: “Conscience must
be informed and moral judgment enlightened” (no. 1783) (italics mine). That is,
we must listen and learn from the wisdom of others, especially the Church. So,
before you make a big decision, do you ask what the Church teaches, or do you just
go with your gut? Before you decide to use in vitro fertilization to get
pregnant, before you decide to get a divorce and end your marriage, before you
vote for the next president on November 8, before you choose to send your
children to a Catholic or public school, before you choose so many other major
decisions in life, do you just give it your best guess? Or, do you do like
Msgr. Oswald and learn from the wisdom of others, especially the collective,
2000-year wisdom of the Catholic Church: the saints and scholars, the popes and
patriarchs up and down the centuries?
Peter, a
professional fisherman, figured maybe he didn’t know everything about fishing
and listened to Jesus. Maybe you don’t know everything either, and should
listen to the Church. “Every idea is a good idea until you find the best idea,”
and often others have the best idea.
Praised be
Jesus Christ!
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