Catechesis Notes for the Week — “Fishers of Men” — In this week’s Gospel Jesus extends the call into the ministry to four men who had become His disciples through the ministry of John the Baptist.  Like all of us, after their baptism they returned to their vocation as fishermen in the town of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee.  When Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” He was calling them to leave their vocation and enter into the Office of the Apostolic Ministry in which they would no longer fish in the way they had, but would now “fish for men” through the preaching of the Gospel.  We are all called to bear witness to our Lord in whatever vocation God has given us, but there is the office of the Holy Ministry in which men are called to full time service in the preaching of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments.  The Church includes both the witness of laymen in their earthly callings and the witness of her ministers in fulltime service to the Church and the world.

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