by Derek Lyssy
In the Gospel, some of the most powerful moments begin with a simple act of trust. One of those moments unfolds along the shore of the Sea of Galilee in the Gospel of Luke 5:1-11.
I recently had the opportunity to attend a Catholic philanthropy conference where a close priest friend shared a reflection on the quiet power of legacy and the importance of honoring a donor’s deepest desires in the work of Catholic philanthropy.
He began with this Gospel account. After a long night of fishing with nothing to show for their efforts, Jesus tells Simon Peter to put out into the deep and lower the nets once again. Peter replies that they have worked all night without success. Yet trusting the Lord’s word, they obey.
What follows is abundance. The nets fill with so many fish that Peter and his companions must signal to another boat to come and help.
It is a powerful image of the church. The mission of Christ is never meant for one person alone; it takes all of us working together to bring in the catch.
My priest friend illustrated this beautifully with a story about his uncle, who passed away recently at the age of 96. His uncle had lived a quiet and faithful life as a bachelor. In the last years of his life, he told Father, “God has been so good to me. I want to give it away before I die.”
As they talked about possible causes, his uncle shared that while many people supported their parish, he felt drawn to help children in Africa. Father connected him with Benedictine Sisters who operate schools and clinics there and shared their mission with him.
About a month later, Father received a notice from the Sisters who had recently opened a letter from his uncle. Inside was a very large check and a simple note that read: “Build a school.”
A quiet gift. A profound impact.
At the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas, we are honored to help families and individuals direct their generosity in ways that reflect their faith and their hopes for the future of the church. Like the fishermen in the Gospel who called the other boat to help bring in the nets, we are all invited to take part in Christ’s mission.
And when we trust the Lord enough to “put out into the deep,” the catch can be far greater than we could ever imagine.
