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Reflections on Today’s Gospel

First Published: 2019 February 10

Isaiah 6:8: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ ‘Here I am,’ I said; ‘send me!’”

Draft 1

Today’s readings speak about the nature of God’s relationship with us. As Isaiah was, we are to be awed and fearing.1 As Simon was, we are to be unquestioning,2 and again, fearful.3

But this is not all that the relationship is. For just after Isaiah speaks about his unworthiness, he is made pure.4 And when Simon and his partners too followed God, they are exhorted, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”5 All in all, that’s nice to think about. We can trust wholly in the Lord our God, and he will make us pure and worthy.


  1. Isaiah 6:5 “Then I said, ‘Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!’”↩︎

  2. Luke 5:5 “Simon said in reply, ‘Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.’”↩︎

  3. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, ‘Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.’↩︎

  4. Isaiah 6:7 “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it. ‘See,’ he said, ‘now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.’”↩︎

  5. Luke 5:10B↩︎