Sunday between 4 and 10 February    (if before Ash Wednesday)    

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

First Reading - Isaiah 6.1-8

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. It was in the year that King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord, sitting on a high throne, in robes that filled the temple. Angels, around the Lord, called out to one another, saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord almighty; the whole earth is filled with the glory of the Lord.’ Their voices shook the very foundations of the temple, and the temple was filled with smoke. I said: ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live amongst a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord almighty!’ Then one of the angels flew to me, and touched my lips with a burning coal that had been taken from the altar, saying, ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt is removed, and you are forgiven.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Is there anyone I can send?’ And I said, ‘Here I am; send me.’ This is the word of the Lord.

Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 15.1-10a

A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians. Let me remind you again, my brothers and sisters, of the good news that you received, which is now your firm foundation, and in which you are saved: that Christ died for our sins, and was buried; and that he was raised on the third day - and all this in fulfilment of the scriptures. After he was raised from the dead, he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve, then to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time.

Then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles. And last of all, he appeared also to me, as to one untimely born, unfit to be called even the least of the apostles, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And God’s grace towards me has not been in vain. This is the word of the Lord.

Gospel - Luke 5.1-11

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. Jesus was standing by the sea of Galilee, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God. There were two boats by the shore, belonging to fishermen, who were washing their nets. Jesus climbed into the boat belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When Jesus had finished speaking to the crowds, Jesus said to Simon, ‘Take the boat out to the deep water, and let down the nets, for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we worked all night, and caught nothing; but at your word, I will let down the nets once more.’ And they did so; and they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. They signalled to their partners, James and John (the sons of Zebedee), to come and help them, and they filled both boats with so great a catch of fish that they began to sink; and they were all overwhelmed at the great catch of fish that they had taken. Simon Peter fell to his knees before Jesus, saying, ‘Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not be afraid. From now on, you will be fishing for people.’ And when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything, and followed Jesus. This is the Gospel of the Lord.