His experiences can help us meet Jesus
The word “encounter” is used frequently among Catholics today. In our personal lives, when we come across a person at the grocery store or meet a parent at our child’s school, we have an opportunity to come to know the person a bit better through conversation. The friendship grows as these encounters reoccur and trust is developed as the conversations move from the head to the heart.
The same is true with encountering the Person of Jesus. One way we know this to be true is by looking at specific persons in the Bible who unexpectedly met Our Lord or even came in contact with Him quite often. One individual—Peter—provides us with a bird’s eye view of various types of encounters with Jesus, and what Peter experienced in these encounters affords us helpful insights.
Peter was an ordinary man who made a living by fishing. He must have worked hard, as we know from the Scripture passage that he and his partners had fished all night without success. While Peter and the other fishermen were washing their nets on shore, Jesus was nearby teaching the crowds. The Lord asked Peter to “put out into deep water and lower the nets for a catch.” (Lk 5:4) Peter explained that he and his partners had fished all night and caught nothing, but he responded to Jesus’ request nevertheless. Amazingly, they caught so many fish that two boats were filled and were nearly sinking.
An Encounter of Unconditional Love
“At the sight of this, Simon Peter fell at the feet of Jesus and said, ‘Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.’ Jesus responded to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching men.’” (Lk 5:8, 10). Peter’s response expressed his awareness of his personal sinfulness, but Jesus overrode this fear with the unconditional love shown in the miraculous catch of fish, which met Peter’s needs as a fisherman to provide for his family and pay Roman taxes. This awe-inspiring encounter led Peter to recognize Jesus as God Himself, the promised Messiah. But, overwhelmed by his personal unworthiness, Peter wanted to run away. However, he was aware of his need for Jesus—to be saved from his sin. Further, this experience of Jesus’ love for Peter was so powerful that Peter was compelled to love Jesus in return and to repent of his selfishness and pride.
From this meeting between Peter and Jesus, we can observe what took place and
recognize a certain pattern that may help us open our hearts to encounter Him more readily. Peter met Christ amidst his daily routine, and we, too, should remain open to His presence in our ordinary lives. The Lord is ever present to us, knows us by name and wants to shower each of us with His love. When we experience this unconditional love, we too are drawn to love Jesus in return.
The Lord continues to perform both large and small miracles in our lives today: the healing of a friend, the resolution of a misunderstanding, a prosperous year for a new business, an insight for the correction of a child, receiving a needed word of encouragement, etc.
We might feel unworthy of such love because of our personal sin, but our Lord is always there for us with His deep, abiding care and concern. Each one of us needs Him; He is our Savior and only He can set us free from the very real bondage caused by sin. As we seek forgiveness, our hearts are cleansed and we gain the strength to move forward—to live no longer under the compulsion of sin but rather under the compulsion of love.
After the large catch of fish, Peter chose to spend time with Jesus, as a committed follower and friend, and this allowed greater trust to develop. Similarly, we want to spend time with Jesus by speaking with Him throughout the day, reading His very words from the Gospels, allowing times of silence in prayer to listen to Him and remaining focused on Him after receiving the holy Eucharist at Mass.
As our friendship with Jesus grows, we will naturally grow in our trust in Him, eventually placing Him at the center of our lives. Making this decision brings us peace and joy as we navigate each day alongside Jesus.
Another Encounter: “Why Are You Afraid?”
After some time, Peter had another encounter with Jesus. The disciples were in a boat with Him while a great storm arose, swamping the boat with waves. They feared for their lives while Jesus was sound asleep in the back of the boat. In a panic, the disciples woke Him and asked Him to save them from drowning. Jesus replied, “Why are you afraid, o men of little faith? Jesus rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. The men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?’” (Mt 8:26-27)
Peter must have been thinking, “Teacher, do you really not care that we are perishing? How can this be happening to us as we are your followers? We don’t deserve this. We are scared to death, and you just continue to sleep soundly!”
Obviously, Peter was not in control of the situation, as the waves filled the boat. Even though he and the apostles had observed many of Jesus’ miracles, Peter and the other Apostles were still fearful and did not believe that everything was going to be alright, especially since Jesus was asleep at the back of the boat. When they woke Jesus, He responded to their desperate request for help. From the Scripture passage, it is evident that they were shaken to the core to witness that Jesus could exercise authority over nature—showing that even the wind and waves would obey Him!
Peter must have spent a good deal of time mulling over Jesus’ question, “Why are you afraid?” Peter knew that Jesus is God and the Creator of the universe. This question of fear must have been on his mind over the three years Peter spent with Jesus, which led to greater humility, trust and recognition of his dependence upon God. This journey was a matter of ongoing conversion, as Peter’s relationship with Jesus moved from his head to the depths of his heart.
What About Us?
In our day, each of us face tough situations from time to time. In fact, we may feel like we are “drowning” in difficulties. Our focus is usually on the problem at hand, and rightly so, but Jesus wants us to trust Him and to know that He is with us. Situations where we don’t feel like we are in control usually spark worry and anxiety. This is why Christ gave us these very words, “Jesus, I trust in You,” so that we may call on Him for help, especially to bring peace and calm amidst any unsettledness.
We may become so overwhelmed by our burdens that we think we face this alone; that Jesus is not aware of this nerve-wracking situation. In such a storm, we need to “wake Jesus up” by crying out for help! Jesus loves us far too much to abandon us. Remember, He gave His life for us. And Jesus is still working. If we call on Him, He will be moved to act, so get ready to see a miracle! While most situations may not be as dramatic as the miraculous catch of fish or the calming of the wind and sea, something will happen. One thing is for sure, our hearts will be changed and peace will come.
It is important that we let Jesus ask each one of us the same question that He posed to Peter: “Why are you afraid?” One reason we may feel fear is our own sense of weakness. But Jesus reassures us by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9) Here is the great secret: Jesus will do it for us, providing whatever strength we need through the power of His grace. “The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.”
(1 Thes 5:24) Remember, fear is just a feeling. We need to face the fear by continuing to move forward one step at a time with our eyes on Jesus, believing that His strength will carry us through the difficulty.
Another important aspect during times when we are afraid, perhaps even terrified, is to let Jesus know that we are frightened. Then, we want to allow Him to show us the ways He has been with us in the past, walking alongside us during difficult times. This process of remembering is crucial to building trust. Jesus can then guide us on the best way forward in real-life situations.
Let’s develop the habit of reflecting on the various experiences of individuals in the New Testament who encountered Jesus. We can learn a great deal from these interactions, which can help us be more receptive to meeting Jesus in our daily lives.
Story by Ann Lankford, Director of the Office for Catechesis and Evangelization
Published in the January/February 2025 issue of Catholic Life Magazine