“The kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea”
This parable deals with casting out the net. This was right up the alley of many of the disciples who were fishermen by trade. Not done as much anymore, but some fishermen today still go out and catch small fish as bait for fishing. They typically have a large net with weights attached to the end and will throw it out into the water letting it hit the bottom and then pulling it back up to see what they caught. As someone can imagine, sometimes a fisherman can catch all sorts of things in their nets.
In the gospel reading, Jesus speaks more clearly in this parable about what will happen to the unjust people than He had at any point of His proclamation of the Kingdom. As Jesus said, it is true the just and unjust will be held together in the net, the Angels will come and separate us. He spoke of this parable right after speaking about the wheat and the weeds; of how good and evil will live and sometimes grow side by side, but in both parables Jesus reassures us that the evil will have their day of reckoning. We see the reality of good and evil side by side in every area of our culture. We would not say that any city is perfect, with only good, but rather you can witness both the good and bad in every city. Many times in history, leaders have tried to create a utopia, a perfect place with no “bad”, but it has never worked out and it will not work out until the end of time. Jesus speaks plainly of what God will do with the evil ones. He will give to them what they choose a place of nothingness, a place to burn and wail. This is done not because God hates them, but because of their actions has left no room in their heart for change or conversion. They have not sought out the treasures of the Kingdom of Heaven, thus they do not get to come to experience the eternal joy. They have not chosen God and so they will not be forced to be with God. It is by their actions and God’s justice, they are banished into Hell.
What is the significance of the net? The net is the Church and like the net, the Church can have saints as well as sinners inside the Church. In fact, the Church is known to be a place with sinners. The Church has been referred to as an infirmary to help the sick. The Church does not leave us in our sickness, but scoops us up and tries to heal us. We say in the ninth article of the Creed that we believe in “the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints.” [1] The Church, can also be seen as a building with three floors. The first floor is called the Church Militant, the Church on earth. Many times this floor seems like the emergency room, full of people in need of healing. The second floor is the Church Suffering, those in Purgatory; they know they are going to the third floor but need purification first. The third floor is the Church Triumphant; it is all the Saints united with God in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is only the first floor that has good and bad, the second is full of the good that are being cleansed and the third is the floor with the good that are pure and have reached perfection. It is good, when discussing the Church, to see the whole building not just one floor. If we only look at the first floor, we will get discouraged. It is for this reason that we look at the second floor, praying for the poor souls in purgatory and look at the third floor, asking Our Lady and the Saints and Angels for intercession.
Search: Two Fishing Stories
Why does the church still have sinners welcome in the Church? The Church is a Mother to all who are ill. “The Church continues to live in her children who are not in the state of grace. The Church seeks to work against the evil that corrupts their souls. She struggles to keep them in her fold, to bring them back to life with her love. She conserves them as one conserves a treasure not easily parted from. And it is not because she wants to carry around dead weight. She only hopes that through the power of patience, gentleness and pardon the sinner ill make his return to her.” [2] The Church continues to pray for her children who are not in the state of grace. The Church has infinite patience for each and every one of us. We too should have patience with others and pray for those who may need to return to “the fullness of spiritual life.” [3]
While we are on the first floor, there is still hope. We look at two Saints in particular, who were sinners but had a conversion of heart. The first is Saint Dismas, he is the good thief and in the infinite mercy of God was allowed to convert during the last breathes of his life. In the Byzantine Tradition the Cross has a slanted bar where the feet of Christ rest. One reason for the slanted bar, is to remind us of the mercy of God and the life of St. Dismas. The bar slants up on the right and down on the left. This is a reference to the good choice St. Dismas made, who was on the right of Christ and the bad choice the bad thief made, who was on the left of Christ. There is a joke that asks why St. Dismas is called the good thief. The answer is that he stole salvation at the last minute. The story of St. Dismas teaches us of the continual call of conversion and the reach of God’s mercy.
Saint Mary Magdalene who is called “equal to the Apostles” in the East, is another example of great conversion, a conversion that led to an unwavering love and desire for communion with Christ. Saint Odo of Cluny says of Mary Magdalene, “God’s loving mercy to repentant sinners is shown by the perfection attained by her who had merited not only the washing away her sins, but also to be made a consort of the apostles, when they received the news of the Resurrection of the Lord.” She is an example of the man who sold all and the merchant who went searching. “We should reflect on Mary’s attitude and the great love she felt for Christ; for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained. She was still seeking the one she had not found, and while she sought she wept; burning with the fire of love, she longed for him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tells us: Whoever preserves to the end will be saved. At first she sought but did not find, but when she persevered it happened that she found what she was looking for. When our desires are not satisfied, they grow stronger, and becoming stronger they take hold of their object. Holy desires likewise grow with anticipation, and if they do not grow they are not really desires. Anyone who succeeds in attaining the truth has burned with such a love.” [4]
How are unholy desires different from holy desires? Will we continue to seek Christ, even if our friends and world is not? If everyone leaves, will we stay at the tomb and continue to seek?Give examples of these questions.
Why are there so many hypocrites? Before we go and blame others as hypocrites we should look in the mirror first because the truth is, we are all hypocrites. What is a hypocrite? The word hypocrite comes from Greek and means “stage actor.” It is a person who tries to be someone that they are not. We all have sinned and thus have failed to live up to what we say and preach. To sin is to be what we are not. We are not created to sin. Although when we sin, we are “being someone that we are not” hopefully our intention is not hypocritical. Hopefully we want to be true to Christ, true to our self, and live out our vocation to be holy. Even Solomon with all his wisdom and understanding in God still fell to idolatry. Since we are all in the same level, shouldn’t we look for something or someone who is not a hypocrite? The only thing in this world that has not fallen into hypocrisy is the Catholic Church. The only people who were never hypocrites were Mary, and her Son, Jesus Christ who formed and founded the Church. The Church, in its gentleness and care, looks not to damn us, but to bring healing and forgiveness through the Sacraments, which Christ founded. While the Church is full of sinners and hypocrites, the Church herself is pristine and perfect. The Body of Christ is made up of the Head, which is Christ and the members, which are the faithful. The Head is perfect, no hypocrisy, the members are imperfect, full of hypocrisy. The goal is for the members to follow the head, to “be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48)
How is the Church free from sin? The Church was founded by Jesus Christ and is moved and directed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus “joined her to himself as his body and endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God...This holiness of the Church is constantly shown forth in the fruits of grace which the Spirit produces in the faithful and so it must be; it is expressed in many ways by the individuals who, each in his own state of life, tend to the perfection of love, thus sanctifying others.” [5] The Church is not of this world, “a cultural phenomenon, a political institution, nor a scientific school, but a creation of the heavenly Father by means of Jesus Christ.” [6] This is why we should not leave the Church no matter what others within their Church do. We all have been shaken by scandals, but there has been scandal after scandal, sin after sin done by Catholics against Catholics and others. This does not mean we should leave the one true Church, but in fact renounce the sin, and cling to Mother Church even more! Those that have sinned, especially in the name of the Church or trying to associate with the Catholic Church will be thrown into the fire where there will be wailing and mashing of teeth, as Jesus described today.
[1] The Apostles Creed
[2] C. Journet, Theology of the Church, Bilbao
[3] In the Conversation with God 4, 37.1
[4] From a Homily by Saint Gregory the Great; July 22; Office of Readings; Liturgy of the Hours
[5] Second Vatican Council, loc cit, 39
[6] In the Conversation with God 4, 37.1