Page:Prayersmeditatio01thom.djvu/323

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said to them: " Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and you shall find much, although before I came to you you could catch nothing at all."

I praise and glorify Thee, O my Jesus, Whose foreknowledge is infinite, for what Thou didst so lovingly say to those poor fishermen, who as yet had no settled means, no Church revenues to depend upon; but in order that they might not be a burden to others by demanding maintenance, and might not by their idleness be a stumbling-block to the weak, were procuring in a lawful manner, by the labours of their hands, the necessaries of life. Thou didst come then, O good Jesus, to the help of Thy poor followers in this their time of need, by asking them if they had anything to eat, naming in a friendly way something besides bread: " Children" Thou saidst, " have ye any meat?" They answered: "No." A brief answer was this; but it was enough for the Almighty Lord Who knew all things from all eternity, to Whom all hearts are open, and from Whom no secret is hid, Who knew both what was in the ship and what was swimming in the sea. Thou hadst pity then, O good Jesus, on their poor estate, just as formerly Thou hadst pity upon the multitude which in the wilderness had nothing to eat; and Thou gavest, without delay, by a single word, to those Who obeyed Thee, advice and help. When, therefore, putting in good faith their hope in God and not in their own skill, they let down the net on the right side of the ship, in accordance with the command of the Lord as He stood on the seashore, without their having to use their oars, He helped them by His words more than all else besides. For lo, when Jesus