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Lent means Springtime. Are you ready for Spring? We have had a taste of Spring with the nice weather lately. But just because Lent begins this Wednesday does not mean that every day to Easter will be warm and sunny. Such is life.

Among the many religions of humanity, why do we think that Christianity is the best? The Second Vatican Council took up this question in it’s “Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Nostrae Aetate). It is the shortest “Declaration” of Vatican II, consisting of only five paragraphs, so it is not meant to be a comprehensive treatment of the subject. The Council fathers set forth their modest intention in the second sentence. Regarding the Church’s “task of promoting unity and love among people, indeed among nations, she considers above all in this declaration what people have in common and what draws them to fellowship.”

How did Jesus lay the foundation for the largest continually existing human institution ever? By the wisdom and love that flowed through everything He said and did, and in a way which was rather unconventional. His unconventional wisdom is expressed in today’s gospel passage when He declares that those who are normally seen as unfortunate are actually blessed.

It was the worst night ever on the lake. We spent all our energy hauling in the nets countless times for nothing, not a single fish. There we were cleaning our nets on the beach, and looking forward to a morning nap, when I heard some people gathering behind me. I turned and, to my surprise, I saw Jesus sitting in my boat! He smiled and waved me over with some urgency as more people gathered around. I felt a certain need to rescue him, so I dropped my net and ran to him. James and John noticed and did the same.

In this reflection from Fr. Ernest, we here St. Peter thinking back to that moment that he first encountered Jesus and he was called to follow him.