The button of the royal robe of a generous king fell off while he was visiting a village. His servant went to the only tailor in that village and asked for help. The tailor grabbed his needle and thread, and ran off to where the king was. He bowed to the king and sewed the button back to the robe. The king asked after, “How much should I pay you?”

The tailor said, “Oh, Your Highness. Nothing. What a privilege to not only meet you but to also do something for you.”

But the king said, “No, I want to pay you. How much do you charge for this service?”

The tailor was taken aback. He said, “Well, ah, Your Highness, when my neighbor or another villager asks me to do

what I just did for you, I charge two pesos. But you’re the king.”

The king laughed and said, “Yes, I’ll be insulted if you charge me two pesos.” Then the king grabbed two heavy bags of gold and gave it to the tailor.

My friend, the God we follow, the God who made us, and the God we worship is the God of the universe. Do not limit what He can do for you. Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com)

reflect

Give God permission to do what He wants to do in your life. Let Him do it—without limits.

Lord, my life is Yours. Do with it as You please.

Saint Giles, abbot, pray for us.

God desires for us to be “foolish” by completely surrendering to His will regardless of what the world thinks. The world cautions us to weigh our options and to make sure we know what we are getting into. This is sound advice, but when it comes to the Kingdom of God, we may have to be less circumspect and trust that the Lord will take care of us.

¹⁸ Brothers and sisters: Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: God catches the wise in their own ruses, ²⁰ and again: The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. ²¹ So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, ²² Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, ²³ and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R: To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.

¹ The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. ² For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. (R) ³ Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may stand in his holy place? 4 He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. (R) ⁵ He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior. 6 Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. (R)

Gospel | Luke 5:1-11

Peter’s obedience in throwing the nets as a last attempt for a catch is a lesson for us. Today’s Gospel tells us that we should never give up, particularly when the Lord is involved in a given situation. Giving up is a coward’s way out. Let us pray for the strength of character and mind to persevere in difficult times. Let us involve God in every situation we find ourselves in.

Gospel Acclamation

Come after me, says the Lord, and I will make you fishers of men.

¹ While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. ² He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. ³ 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. ⁴ After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” 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.” ⁶ When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.⁷ They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. ⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” ⁹ For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, ¹⁰ and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” ¹¹ When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

Read the Bible in one year! Read ISAIAH 45 - 48 today.

When I was still assigned at San Carlos Seminary as resident professor and formator, the seminarians held a garage sale. They asked all resident priests and seminarians to gather up things they do not need anymore and donate them to the garage sale. So, I looked through my stuff and gathered up the things I no longer needed and placed them in a box. Very swiftly, I collected a boxful of miscellaneous items. When I finished, I noticed that the things I gathered actually looked like things I was ready to throw in the garbage can.

It exposed to me the quality of my giving. I gathered up things I do not need—I did not gather things others might need. It was then I realized I was not doing an act of charity. What I did was an act of waste disposal.

I began again, this time keeping in mind to set aside things others might need, things that are still useful, things I still would want to keep for myself. I found it hard to part with many of them.

When you want to dispose of things you do not need anymore, it’s easy to fill up a box. But when you decide to give away things still valuable to you but which others might need, you’ll discover that parting is so difficult. I admit it took me some time to fill up the box. But that is the essence of giving. It is not easy, but it is liberating.

When we “give up” things we do not need, that’s a donation. When we give up things we still need but give them up anyway because others might have a greater need of them, that is self-giving. That’s self-donation.

In today’s Gospel, Luke tells us the disciples did not only give up things they did not need. On the contrary, “They left everything, and followed him.” It was a real gift of self. It was not a mere donation. It was an act of self-giving. Fr. Joel O. Jason

reflection question

There’s only one vowel in the word “gift,” and it is an “I.” What is the character of your giving? Is it mere donation or self-giving?

Lord Jesus, inspire us to love as You love, to give as You give—freely, totally, faithfully, fruitfully. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ______________________________________________