Surely, we have heard people say that you cannot know the taste of a cake before you try it, no matter how much they tell you it is good or what it tastes like—you have to taste it to know. Similarly, we say that you need to spend time with a person to truly know who they are. This applies even more to God; no matter how much you hear about God, unless you experience Him yourself, you cannot truly understand who He is and the immense difference He can make in your life.
Today's readings present us with the experiences that various people had of God. In the first reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard how the prophet had a vision of God's greatness in the temple of Jerusalem. Faced with this experience, the prophet felt small and recognised his own sinfulness. God purified the prophet from his sin, and when God asked, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?", the prophet did not hold back but responded with generosity, "Here I am, send me!" In this, we see the three steps that form a personal experience of God: first, an encounter with God's holiness; second, the prophet realises his unworthiness and is purified; and third, God calls the prophet, and he responds.
In today’s Gospel, we find a similar experience. Jesus is preaching the Word of God to the people and, in doing so, needs the help of Peter and his companions, who had just returned disappointed after a whole night of fishing without success. When Jesus finishes speaking, He tells Peter to go out into deep water and lower the nets. Peter, moved by Jesus' words, obeys: "Master, we have worked hard all night and caught nothing. But at Your word, I will let down the nets." Peter then experiences Jesus—God made man for us—and His power, even over nature. Faced with this, Peter confesses, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" And immediately, Jesus gives him a special mission: "Do not be afraid; from now on, you will be catching people."
We too must ask ourselves: Have I had a personal experience of God? Simply going to church does not necessarily mean one has had a genuine and personal experience of God. How can you know if you have had this experience? The answer is simple: if you are convinced that God loves you, if your relationship with God comes first before any other relationship, then you are likely living this experience. On the other hand, if faith for you is merely a list of obligations, then the Lord is calling you, just as He called Peter and Isaiah, to encounter Him.
Lord Jesus, like Peter, we want to meet You, to know You, and, above all, to love You because we know how much You love us. Give us the strength not to lose heart when we encounter difficulties in our journey of faith, but with complete trust in Your love, may we continue to follow You as the apostles did. Amen.