Something timeless about Peter's sense of guilt

The 'Thinking Anew' column in today's Irish Times.

Michael Commane

It is an extremely dramatic gesture. Peter kneels down in front of Jesus and says: "Leave me Lord; I am a sinful man." (Luke 5: 8)

That's a line in tomorrow's Gospel.

The Gospel (Lk 5: 1 - 11) is the account of how the fishermen fill their boats almost to the point of sinking. No doubt many sermons tomorrow will be used to sell vocations to the priesthood and religious life. While that might well be a valid approach to take, such an extrapolation can easily give an over importance to the calling of sisters, priests and brothers within the church. 

Surely we are all called to live the Gospel and to talk about it in our daily lives. Too much 'them versus us' always leads to exaggeration and places an over-importance in one particular group.

Peter is disgusted with himself, annoyed with his lifestyle, indeed, so much is he ashamed of himself that he tells Jesus to leave him alone, go away, and let him live with his miserable self.

There is something about that sentiment of Peter's that carries a timeless truth about it. Something universal about it too and also something very 'Irish' about it.

Irish society has changed beyond recognition over the last 30, 40, 50 years. Philosophers, sociologists, theologians, politicians, people from all walks of life have been discussing how and why it has changed. When was that particular moment, what was that specific 'thing' that helped cause such a change in Irish society?

Gay Byrne's Late Late? Ready access to travel? The EU? It's been a myriad things and there is never one 'magic' moment that causes change.

But it would seem to be true that far more people in Ireland today carry a confidence with them that would not have been the case in former times. People, not all, are more articulate, better educated, more prosperous and better able to stand up for themselves than they were in past generations.

It's probably true to say that the ruling classes have less chance today to be patronising, to speak down to their 'subjects' as they did in the past. But, unfortunately it still happens.

Going with all that self-confidence, it is inevitable that we develop an air of self-importance, a belief that I am all-powerful and I can more than survive on my greatness and my own individual ability. It can lead to an arrogance and a sense of invincibility.

I don't need anyone. I can do this all on my own. I'm important. There are no limitations to what I can do and achieve. 

Not too long ago we doffed the hat and now we are masters of the human race.

Sometimes something happens, we get ill, lose friends, experience the death of people close to us and we do a rethink. We might not after all be as indestructible and all-powerful as we thought.

It's a far cry from when we lived in a state of guilt and were obsessed with how we must never get 'above our station'. 

Such an understanding of guilt was not and is not a 'Christian thing'. Read tomorrow's Gospel. Peter is full of guilt and sincerely believes he is not good enough to associate with Jesus. Quickly, Jesus the Lord, sets him right and insists that he is to be one of his followers.

Tomorrow's Gospel is a great story to remind us of our dependence on God but also a wake-up call, assuring us of how important we actually are.

Maybe a question of balance: ridding ourselves of a silly type of guilt and on the other hand never losing the run of ourselves. 

It seems we all give far too little importance to the great virtue of prudence.