When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Peter is aware of his sinfulness and realizes that he is unworthy of being so close to the Son of God. “Depart from me”- he said - find someone else to follow you and to be your disciple. However, Jesus did not go away. Instead, He called this sinful man, Peter, to be His greatest disciple that would lead Jesus’ Church here on earth. Our sins can’t become an excuse for not following Jesus in our lives nor for not ministering in His Church. Quite often, I hear from a person: ‘I can’t become a lector and read the scripture in church because I am not worthy; that is for other, holier people.’ Or ‘I can’t become a Eucharistic Minister; I don’t go to church that often.’ And yes, following the Lord and ministering in His church requires a good and exemplary life. However, we can’t simply give up and say along with Peter – depart from me, Jesus, because I am a sinful person. No. Instead, He won’t leave you alone. He wants all of us to convert and to say: ‘I am sorry, forgive me,’ and then we must follow Him.
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