Pope's Intentions
Universal: Peace -- That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace.
Evangelization: Consecrated life -- That in this year dedicated to consecrated life, religious men and women may rediscover the joy of following Christ and strive to serve the poor with zeal.
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B
Commentary of the day
Saint Ephrem (c.306-373), Deacon in Syria, Doctor of the Church
Commentary on the Diatessaron, 4, 20 ; SC 121
"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men"
When they came to him they were fishers of fish and then they became fishers of men! As it is written: “Look, I will send many catchers of men, and they will catch them on every mountain and high hill” (Jer 16,16). If he had sent wise men it would have been said they had persuaded the people and won them over that way, or that they had deceived them and thus caught them. If he had sent the wealthy it would have been said they had fooled the people by giving them food, or that they had bought them with money and so gained the upper hand. If he had sent strong men it would have been said they had won them over by force or constrained them with violence,
But the apostles had nothing to do with any of this. Our Lord demonstrated it to everyone with the example of Simon Peter. He lacked courage since he took fright at the words of a serving girl; he was poor since he was not even able to pay his share of the temple tax (Mt 17,24f). “Gold and silver have I none” was what he said (Acts 3,6). And he was without sophistication since, when he denied the Lord, he had no idea how to get out of it by guile.
And so these fishers of fish set out and carried away the victory against the strong, the rich and the wise. What a miracle! Weak though they were, they drew strong men to their teaching without force; poor, they taught the wealthy; unlettered, they made the wise and prudent their disciples. The wisdom of this world gave way to that wisdom which is itself the wisdom of all wisdoms.