Peter's Calling

Et præteriens secus mare Galilaeae, vidit Simonem, et Andream fratrem ejus, mittentes retia in mare, erant enim piscatores, et dixit eis Jesus: Venite post me, et faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum. Et protinus relictis retibus, secuti sunt eum. Mittentes retia in mare. Et tangit actum, et usum, et rationem usus. Notatur autem quod lucris intendebant: mittentes retia in mare, sine quorum usu vitam agere non poterant. Labores manuum tuarum quia manducabis, beatus es et bene tibi erit. In sudore vultus tui vesceris pane tuo, et subiungit laboris istius rationem. Erant enim piscatores... Hoc est, usu piscationis viventes: patres enim veteris testamenti pastores fuerunt ovium, sicut dicitur. Patres autem novi testamenti piscatores piscium fuerunt. Mittam eis piscatores multos et piscabuntur eos. Duc in altum et laxate retia vestra in capturam. Et dixit eis Iesus: venite post me et faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum. Et protinus relictis retibus, securi sunt eum. Hic tangitur vocatio: et subiungitur simplex obedientia discipulorum. Vocatio autem ponitur et subiungitur ad quid vocantur: vocatio est ad veniendum, et modum dicit cum addit 'post me' dicit igitur Venite... Relinquendo vestra et vestros. Nunc sequimur te in toto corde nostro et timemus te. Qui fugistis gladium venite ad me et nolite stare. Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis et onerati estis. Post me... Neque ad dexteram neque ad sinistram declinando. Sequamini vestigia eius. Hoc enim perfectum est: et in hoc sequuntur idoneitatem, ut sint vicarii in postestae, si sint successores et suscitatores Christi. Faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum. Ecce ad quid vocantur. Homines enim submersi in concupiscentiis mundi, capiuntur et trahuntur ad litus stabilitatis, sagena praedicationis. Facies homines quasi pisces maris. Simile est regnum caelorum sagenae missae in mare et ex omni genere piscium congreganti. Et protinus... Hic tangitur obedientia velox, et simplex, et perfecta: velox, in hoc quod dicit protinus simplex, in hoc quod dicit relictis retibus, perfecta, in hoc quod dicit secuti sunt eum. De primo, Vidisti hominem velocem in opere suo: coram regibus stabit. Sed contra: Nolite peregrinari in fervore qui ad tentationem vobis fit. Respondeo quod non peregrinabantur in fervore: cum iam ante habuerit notitiam et experientiam per alias vocationes: sicut paulo ante diximus. Relictis... Ut sine impedimento sequerentur. Non enim camelus transit per foramen acus, nisi deposito gibbo. Et licet census hic relictus parvus fit, tamen affectus attendendus est qui maior est in paupere quam in divite: eo quod pluribus indigens plura concupiscit: unde Ecce nos reliquimus omnia. Qui est in agro non revertatur tollere aliquid de domo sua. Secuti sunt eum. Hoc est perfectum, ut dicit Hieronymus, et quod fecit eos veros discipulos Christi. Vestigia eius secutus est pes meus. Sequar autem si quo modo comprehendam in quo et comprehensus sum. Sanctus Albertus Magnus Commentarium In Evangelium Divi Marci, Caput I Source: Here p13-14

And as He passed along the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Simon’s brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, 'Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.' And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 1 Casting their nets into the sea... This touches on the act, the use, and the reason of it. Let it be noted what they look to for gain, the casting of their nets into the sea, without which they were not able to live. 'Because you shall eat the labours of your hands, you are blessed and it will go well with you.' 'In the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread.' 2 And he adds the reason for this: For they were fishermen... That is, they live by fishing. The fathers of the Old Testament were shepherds, as it is said, 3 but the fathers of the New Testament were fishermen. 'I shall send to them many fishermen and they will fish for them.' 'Go out to the deep and lower your nets for a catch.' 4 And Jesus said to them, 'Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.' And immediately they left their nets and followed Him. This touches on the calling. And then he adds the simple obedience of the disciples. So the calling is given and what they are called is added. The calling is to come and he speaks of the way when he adds, 'After me.' Therefore He says: 'Come...' By leaving your things and your own. 'Now we follow you with all our hearts and we are in awe of you.' 'You who would escape the sword, come to me and do not linger.' 'Come to me all of you who labour and are burdened.' 5 After me... Neither declining to the right or the left. 'Follow in His footsteps.' 6 For this is to be perfect. And in this following comes capability, so that they might be His representatives in power, if they are to be successors and revivers for Christ. I shall make you fishers of men... See to what they are called. For men are submerged in the desires of the world, and they are drawn and dragged out to the firm shore by the nets of preaching. 'You make men like fish in the sea.' 'The kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea that gathers up every sort of fish.' 7 And immediately... This touches on swift and simple and perfect obedience. Simple when it is said 'immediately' and swift when it is said 'leaving their nets,' and pefect when it is said 'they followed Him.' Concerning the first: 'You have seen a man quick to his work, he shall stand in the presence of kings.' But against this: 'Do not reckon as something strange the heat which is a trial to you.' 8 I answer that they do not reckon it strange when already before they had knowledge and experience through other callings, as we said a little earlier. Leaving their nets... That they might follow without impediment. For a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle unless it loses its hump. And it is possible to think what is left here is little, however the affection must be attended to, which is greater in the poor than in the rich, because the more poor so the more the desire. Whence 'Behold, we have left everything.' 'He who is in the field let him not turn back to take up anything from his house.' 9 They followed Him. This is perfection, as Jerome says, and what makes them true disciples of Christ. 'My feet have followed His path.' 'And I shall follow, if in some way I might grasp Him who has grasped me.' 10 Saint Albert The Great, Commentary On The Gospel of St Mark, Chapter 1 1 Mark 1.16-18 2 Ps 127.2, Gen 3.19 3 Gen 47.3 4 Jerem 16.16, Lk 5.4 5 Dan 3.41, Jerem 51.50, Mt 11.28 6 1 Pet 2.21 7 Habac 1.14, Mt 13.47 8 Prov 22.29, 1 Pet 4.12 9 Mt 19.24-27, Mt 24.18 10 Job 23.11, Philip 3.12