“And they beckoned to them that they should come and help them.”–Luke 5.

In today’s Gospel we are told that St. Peter, and those with him, called on those in the other ship to assist them in the labor of drawing out the net full of fishes. How of what was this fishing typical? It was, according to the word of Christ, but an image of that great work which is to bring all mankind within the one true fold. This our Lord clearly pointed out to the Apostles, when He said: “I will make you fishers ol men.” And it was for this very purpose that He sent them forth to convert the world, and so assigned their tasks, that His bishops and priests might continue their work to the end of time. The succession to that grand mission has never been interrupted in the Church, and it never will be until the world shall have passed away.

But is this work reserved to the bishops and priests alone? Are they the only ones obliged to labor for the salvation of souls? Not at all. It is a duty in cumbent on all. Each and every child of the Church is laid under this obligation, for to each and every one are addressed these earnest words: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” And, in consequence of this command, all Christians are bound to do their share in the good work of converting souls, inasmuch as these other words are addressed to them likewise: “What ye wish that men should do unto you, do ye also to them.”

We all know how true this is in the temporal order. And if we desire so eagerly to be assisted by our neighbor in what merely pertains to this present life, how much more so should we not do the same in what regards the life to come, and be ready to assist him in eyery possible way! To this end let us consider today the many potent reasons which should urge us to labor for the salvation of souls. Mary, Queen of the Apostles, obtain for us, that we, like the first Christians, may be animated by the holiest zeal! I speak in the most holy name of Jesus, to the greater glory of God!

The first reason which should lead us to kindle and nourish in our hearts this holy zeal is love of God. And why so? It is because the soul is the image of God. From all eternity did the great Lord of all think of it. He created it for Himself, enabling it, by the fulfillment of His holy will, to glorify Him on earth, and thus to be united to Him in life eternal.

God then, no doubt, wishes, with all earnestness, that every soul may stand the test to which her freedom is subjected in the trials of this life. What an inducement, for every one that loves God, to strive with might and main that every soul do in reality prove true, and glorify God in time and in eternity! From this we see that he who loves God heartily, is most anxious to have all around him sharers with himself in loving, serving and praising the Father of all. But he knows full well that this will not come to pass unless they are, like himself, children of the Church, and enlightened by the same faith.

And hence his one great desire is to have others know and serve God, since he is aware that not to know and serve God is to know and serve Satan. He who is not a child of our heavenly Father, is a child and follower of the evil spirit; and, as such, his reward in the life to come will be eternal perdition. Alas! that there should be any so foolish!

The second great reason which we have to cultivate religious zeal is love of Christ. Why did He come upon the earth? It was to save souls. “The Son of man came to seek that which was lost,” says our Lord Himself. The history of His stay among men tells us how He did this. His whole? life was sacrificed to this one object, and an ignominious death gave a last proof of how much He valued human souls. Can we wonder, then, that Christ is most anxious to see; His many sufferings bear fruit? Will we: be callous to His wishes? He deigns to ask for our help in the saving of souls! Is not this enough to win from us our best efforts? Let us not refuse so loving a Lord, but do our best to augment the number of the blessed of heaven, thus giving new glory to Christ for all eternity. Just consider what it is for men to be unbelievers, or unreligious, or the slaves of mortal sin! St. Paul assures us that they continually crucify Jesus in their hearts. Then, again, see what harm they do. They scandalize others; and, by doing the devil’s work, increase the number of the damned! Is not this sad? “Lord, give me souls, souls,” was the constant cry of St. Francis Xavier. It should be ours also.

A third great reason is love of Mary, the mother of divine grace, who stood at the foot of the cross suffering as no one of the children of men had ever suffered, or will ever suffer. Her sacrifice was none other than the offering of her Son to the Eternal Father. She knew the divine desire of Jesus to save souls, and hesitated not to satisfy that desire as far as it lay in her power to do so. Should not the example of our dear heavenly Mother move us, her children, to lend our aid in bringing about so happy a result as the salvation of men? By doing so, we shall prove ourselves her devoted children, and grateful for the numberless blessings which she has obtained for us from her divine Son.

And if, besides all this, we bear in mind the love which should be ours for the angels and saints, we can not fail to increase in our souls this same religious zeal. For it is plain that the greater the number of the blessed in heaven, the greater will be the joy and exultation of all. Hence it belongs to us to increase that number by leading sinners into the right path, and by keeping ourselves pure and holy in the sight of God. We are brothers of the saints. What they have done, we should endeavor to do also; and as they labored while on earth to gain souls to Christ, we should not be backward in imitating their glorious example.

Besides the reasons given, are there not others that come nearer home to us reasons which spring from the consideration of our own real interests? Love of self should urge each of us to labor at the gaining of souls to Christ. And why so? Simply because we will thus gain a great reward in the life to come. St. Chrysostom, alluding to the merit which is secured by works of religious charity, says that: “A work of spiritual charity, done for the salvation of souls, has a higher value in the eyes of God, than if a man were, at one and the same time, to feed the hungry, nurse the sick, and befriend the fatherless, in every part of the world.” The Holy Ghost assures us of the same thing by the mouth of the prophet Daniel: “They who instruct many unto justice shall shine as stars for all eternity.”

Do we desire to save our own souls? Let us labor to save others, and we shall succeed in saving our souls also; for he “who saves the soul of another,” say the Holy Spirit, “has saved his own.”

And this should not seem strange to us. For if Christ, speaking of the corporal works of mercy, assures us that He will say to those who practise them, come and take possession of the kingdom prepared for you, how much more so will He not have reason to address the same words to those who perform the spiritual works of mercy? May we not say that for such there will be a heaven within a heaven, where they will partake of the fullness of joy in company with those whom they have saved? Nay more, will not their joy be the overflowing joy of souls inundated by the wine of gladness poured out on them? Our Lord and His blessed Mother will never forget what they did to help them in winning souls to God.

Let us frequently consider these motives; and let us earnestly beg that a truly apostolic zeal, born of the love of God, of Jesus, of Mary, and of all the saints, as well as of the real interests of our own souls, may come and take possession of our hearts, and cause us to labor much for the spiritual welfare of the neighbor! Amen!

~ by Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, 1877