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Oceans away?

26 Jun 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The divine word and law have been entrusted to Israel as a blessing, the psalmist reminds the people this Sunday. From the moment God first separated land from sea and entrusted the oceans to humanity, they have blessed us with abundance. But a new study warns of the imminent and catastrophic extinctions of sea life--the worst collapse of life in millions of years--because of climate change and overfishing. Time is running short to counter hazards such as the collapse of coral reefs or the spread of low-oxygen "dead zones," according to the study led by the International Program on the State of the Ocean (IPSO). "We now face losing marine species and entire marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, within a single generation," said the expert study which will be presented to the United Nations. "The findings are shocking," Alex Rogers, scientific director of IPSO, wrote of the conclusions from a 2011 workshop of ocean experts staged by IPSO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature at Oxford University. Jelle Bijma, of the Alfred Wegener Institute, said the seas faced a "deadly trio" of threats: higher temperatures, acidification, and lack of oxygen known as anoxia that also have factored in several past mass extinctions. A buildup of carbon dioxide, blamed by the U.N. panel of climate scientists on human use of fossil fuels, is heating the planet. Absorbed into the oceans, it causes acidification, while runoff of fertilizers and pollution stokes anoxia. Fish are the main source of protein for a fifth of the world's population, and the seas cycle oxygen and help absorb carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas from human activities. The study said that overfishing is the easiest contributing factor for governments to reverse, while countering global warming will require a major shift away from fossil fuels toward cleaner energies such as wind and solar power. Source: An article by Jan Harvey for Reuters

global warming oceans overfishing ipso coral reefs alex rogers jelle bijma acidification anoxia fertilizers extinction climate change pollution fossil fuels

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Homily stories

08 Aug 2010 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

The whole day, even before sun-up, his son was chattering away. They were on their first fishing trip together and his son was excited. It soon became clear that the boy hadn't had much experience being quiet. Most of his activities--even at home alone in his room--involved noise. His computer games were all noisy, his radio was always on, at school the work was often done in groups, and his basketball team was one noisy bunch. And so the boy found it hard to be quiet. All the way in the car he chattered and asked questions. When they got to the lake other fishermen gave him the evil eye and paddled their boats away from the father and son team as fast as they were able. The whole day was one comment or question after another. And so the father was not surprised when they arrived home and the boy continued his non-stop narrative, but this time he was filling his mother in on all that he had seen and heard. "It's so quiet up there, Mom, and you can hear the birds singing and the bees buzzing and deer came right up to the shore and drank from the lake and we saw a hawk overhead and a fallen tree is a good place to catch bass and some fishermen don't catch and release but we did and it's important to be real quiet so you can pay attention to where the fish might be . . . " Well the lesson was heard; now all he needed was a bit more practice.

Authors Tom McGrath

fishing father and son silence

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Homily stories

18 Apr 2010 - Third Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

When I was a kid there was a narrow, shallow, stagnant pond that ran for half a mile or so between two sets of railroad tracks near my home. In the summer we would spend hours at a time there trying to catch crayfish. How they got there, I’ll never know. They must have descended from crustaceans that populated the pond long before the railroads came through. Our fishing methods weren’t sophisticated: We’d tie a hunk of baloney on the end of a string and drop it alluringly in front of a large rock, old discarded gas can, or thick stand of weeds. Eventually the baloney would lure a hidden crayfish out into the open and its large claw would close on the meat in a vicelike grip. We could then yank our prize out of the water and into a waiting bucket. We’d watch it crawl around and around the bucket for a while and then release it. Chasing crayfish taught us the habit of simply observing nature. It taught us to pay attention, to see what was there and what more might be there. There’s always more under the surface than first meets the eye. That was Jesus’ lesson to the apostles this week, when he invited them to cast their nets one more time after a disappointing night of fishing. They followed Jesus’ lead and hauled in an abundant harvest. Watch with great expectation, and your life will know abundance.

Authors Tom McGrath

recognition fishing

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Homily stories

18 Apr 2010 - Third Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

In my neighborhood there is a sad reminder of what damage we cause nature. A building is up for sale. It had not long ago been a thriving fishery and restaurant located on the bend of the Chicago River. Its boats docked there and went out daily to catch the perch that the fishery processed. The restaurant served the best fried perch in the city. But overfishing, pollution, and the introduction of predator species not native to Lake Michigan have taken their toll. Then the State of Illinois declared a moratorium on perch fishing, and the business was doomed. So much for the saying, “There’s always more fish in the sea.” Today’s wonderful gospel about 153 large fish being caught and the net not being torn foretells of numbers beyond counting that one day would hear the message of the disciples about the death and Resurrection of Jesus, a message they were brave enough to preach in front of the religious leaders who were threatening them. How would all the new disciples be “caught”? The message that would hook them and that catches us today is the challenge to care for one another and in doing so reflect our love of God. It is a message that would be covered with the blood of martyrs from the beginning until today. It is a message of sharing in the risks, wisdom, and strength of the slain lamb, Jesus, who will feed all who join with him. There are many we need to bring to Jesus. The sea is still teeming with fish to be caught.

Authors Father Dominic Grassi

fishing caretaker Evangelization

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Exploring the word

25 Jan 2009 - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

I’m not going to pretend that I know a thing about fishing. But I do know a thing or two about casting nets and being caught in them. And isn’t being caught how each of us discovers our vocation? And isn’t casting the net the most biblical understanding of the work of evangelization? Like many who discern a vocation in the ways of the church, I was caught in the big net early, at the age of seven. I didn’t have a name for the experience yet, but God and the things of God held my attention the way nothing else could. I think most people repeat that story about their vocations, whether their primary call is parenting, drawing, teaching, or big-rig operating. I know a very shy man who trained to be an interpreter and had a profound gift for languages. He didn’t find his true vocation, though, until he ran off and literally joined the circus. He went around the world in the spotlight as the ringmaster, shouting, “Lay-dees and gentlemen!” in 15 languages. For him, it was bliss. When we are caught up in the net of true vocation, we just know it. It’s not something that we choose so much as it chooses us. We don’t usually struggle in this net for very long. It’s almost like a bassinet, a safe environment where we are free to grow and love and learn. Those who are fortunate enough to be able to discern and surrender to vocation live a life that “clicks.” Even hardships don’t seem so hard when you are lifted up in this sacred net. But to receive our true vocation we have to surrender any false image of ourselves we may have picked up along the way. Simon and Andrew, James and John were simply fulfilling expectations at the shore of the sea. They were doing what their fathers did, what they were supposed to do according to their culture. When Jesus invited them to follow him, they had to drop their fishing nets to do it. That sounds easy; it probably wasn’t. They’d held those nets a long time. Their days were defined by them: casting them out, hauling them in, cleaning and mending them, to start again the next day and the next. Dropping those nets was really about dropping everything: security, the past, their old identities and life plans and goals. Jesus promised them other nets, bigger ones. So they went. God always casts the bigger net. That is how the evil city Nineveh was caught, and how the prophet Jonah himself was caught. In this gracious net you and I were gently caught. Isn’t love sometimes called “the tender trap”? Related scripture links Sign of Jonah: Matt. 12:38-42; 16:1-4; Luke 11:29-32 Prophets of doom: Nahum, Amos Conflict with Assyria: Zeph. 2:13-15; Jth. 1-2 Jonah’s psalm in praise of God’s deliverance: Jon. 2:3-10 Catechism links Vocation: CCC 1-3; 541-546; 823-828; 836; 1546-47 Discipleship: CCC 531-533; 551-553; 783-786; 1691-1696 Conversion: 821; 1423; 1426-1439; 1451-1454

Authors Alice Camille

fishing vocations jesus Jonah Simon James Andrew John

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10 Feb 2019 - Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

My grandparents liked to fish. They were both from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My grandma was born on a Native American reservation. My grandpa was born in a lumberjack camp. Growing up, their families fished—and hunted—for survival. But as adults, the two of them continued to do it for fun. All their vacations involved camping with their kids and grandkids on small inland lakes all over Michigan and taking us out on their boat to fish. I wasn’t good at it. I found the slimy worms and fish disgusting. I thought it was boring, just sitting there for hours, doing nothing but waiting. I never caught anything. My grandpa was good at it. He had lots of fancy lures and always knew where to put his line. My grandma was even better, and she used bologna and American cheese slices as bait and made it look easy, which greatly annoyed my grandpa. Being with my grandma on the boat was the only part I liked about fishing, and I think most of my cousins felt the same way. She was a quiet, gentle woman. Peaceful is the only word I can use to describe how it felt to be in her presence. Maybe that’s why children and fish alike were drawn to her.

Authors Jennifer Tomshack

fishing calm Peace

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05 May 2019 - Third Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

Living a few blocks from a stretch of Lake Michigan in Chicago we dubbed “the rocks” nestled between the Belmont Yacht Club and the Nike Missile Base (we’re talking late '50s early '60s), it’s no surprise that my brother took to fishing. Mom would wake us at dawn, feed us breakfast, pack us a lunch, and send us on our way with minnows from the bait shop or worms from the back yard. We carried bamboo poles and cheap casting rods. My older brother was the fisherman. I was the kid brother tagging along. He would get into a zone and patiently stare out over the water never saying a word. I was hyper talking to everyone around us. By 10 o’clock I had eaten my lunch and by 11 I came back home fishless. My brother would return late afternoon, his face sunburned red, usually carrying a stringer of perch and rock bass, which Mom would fillet and serve for dinner. It never seemed to matter to him if the fish were biting or not. Just being there was what was important to him. At no other time did he exhibit such enduring patience. Later in life he became very successful in the field of human resources. His ability to mediate issues and solve problems was exceptional. I’m guessing he learned that at the lake, pole in hand. Fishing served him well. Those who are good at fishing are patient. So are good Christians. Maybe I should have fished more.

Authors Father Dominic Grassi

fishing patience

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Homily stories

05 May 2019 - Third Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

When I was a kid there was a narrow, shallow, stagnant pond that ran for half a mile or so between two sets of railroad tracks near my home. In the summer we would spend hours at a time there trying to catch crayfish. How they got there, I’ll never know. They must have descended from crustaceans that populated the pond long before the railroads came through. Our fishing methods weren’t sophisticated: We’d tie a hunk of baloney on the end of a string and drop it alluringly in front of a large rock, old discarded gas can, or thick stand of weeds. Eventually the baloney would lure a hidden crayfish out into the open and its large claw would close on the meat in a vicelike grip. We could then yank our prize out of the water and into a waiting bucket. We’d watch it crawl around and around the bucket for a while and then release it. Chasing crayfish taught us the habit of simply observing nature. It taught us to pay attention, to see what was there and what more might be there. There’s always more under the surface than first meets the eye. That was Jesus’ lesson to the apostles this week, when he invited them to cast their nets one more time after a disappointing night of fishing. They followed Jesus’ lead and hauled in an abundant harvest. Watch with great expectation, and your life will know abundance.

Authors Tom McGrath

fishing expectations

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11 Jul 2021 - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

My family and I were on a walk while at my parents’ cottage on a small lake in Southwest Michigan when we got a lesson about life. Around the bend in the lake we met an old couple sitting on rickety lawn chairs fishing. Their equipment consisted of a small, cheap tackle box, a plastic margarine container full of night crawlers, a five-gallon plastic bucket to hold their catch, and two long bamboo poles that carried their lines out beyond the shallows and seaweed. “How’s the fishing?” I asked. “Fantastic,” the man said, nodding to the bucketful of fish thrashing about in the shallow water. Across the road was a much larger lake where a fisherman was calling it quits. He was cranking his expensive bass boat onto his trailer. He wore a vest with about 27 pockets, each bulging with gear. He took six or seven fiberglass rods out of the boat and placed them in the back of his SUV, and then followed suit with two shiny multi-drawered tackle boxes and other gear. “Ain’t no damned fish in this lake,” he snarled as he gunned the engine, pulling his still-dripping boat up the boat ramp and onto the highway. The apostles were sent out into the world with just a single tunic and a walking stick. As fishers of people, despite their lack of fancy gear, they brought in quite a haul.

Authors Tom McGrath

fishing fishers of people

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22 Jan 2023 - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Presbyterian scholar Michael J. Kruger likes to fish. That is a good thing because in a recent online reflection he offers a very important insight: “I have never met a pessimistic fisherman. Sure, there are people who go fishing who are pessimistic. But when it comes to fishermen—people who love to fish and are always eager to fish—they are always defined by an insatiable belief that the very next moment, the very next cast could be the one when they catch the big fish they have been waiting for. . . . Indeed, it is this unexplained optimism that gets fishermen up early in the morning, allows them to endure awful weather and biting mosquitoes, and keeps them out late at night. They continually think: ‘Today could be the day.’ After all, why go fishing at all if you have no hope that you will catch something? Fishermen are people of possibility.” It is easy to see the parallels to the “fishing of men” Jesus demands of his disciples. Optimism is essential. As Pope Francis noted in Evangelii guadium, “Nobody can go off to battle unless he is fully convinced of victory beforehand.” Keep thoughts of abundant streams and big catches in mind as you spread the joy of the gospel.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

fishing fishing of men

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