Peter becomes a disciple

We continue the series posts on St Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, in the fervent hope that he may intercede on behalf of those who, in their own lives, have betrayed those whom they should have loved and cherished the most.

Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt.

Tecum tutus semper sum.

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Sancte Petre, ora pro nobis.

[  ] References in the text to numbered footnotes are not hyperlinked but may be found at the end of the relevant text.

Peter becomes a disciple

After the first meeting, Peter and the other disciples remained with Jesus for a period of time. He accompanied Him to Galilee for the Marriage at Cana, thence to Judaea and Jerusalem, returning to Galilee via Samaria. Peter then  resumed his work as a fisherman for a short time but was soon to receive the call of Jesus to become one of His disciples.

Venite post me... JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum

[18] And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers).
Ambulans autem Jesus juxta mare Galilaeae, vidit duos fratres, Simonem, qui vocatur Petrus, et Andream fratrem ejus, mittentes rete in mare ( erant enim piscatores),

[19] And he saith to them: Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men.
et ait illis : Venite post me, et faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum.
[20] And they immediately leaving their nets, followed him.
At illi continuo relictis retibus secuti sunt eum.

[21] And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called them.

Et procedens inde, vidit alios duos fratres, Jacobum Zebedaei, et Joannem fratrem ejus, in navi cum Zebedaeo patre eorum, reficientes retia sua : et vocavit eos.
[22] And they forthwith left their nets and father, and followed him.
Illi autem statim relictis retibus et patre, secuti sunt eum. [Matt 4]

This account is also presented by St Mark [see 1:16-20]. St Luke adds some extra detail:

[1] And it came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Genesareth,
Factum est autem, cum turbae irruerunt in eum ut audirent verbum Dei, et ipse stabat secus stagnum Genesareth.
[2] And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
Et vidit duas naves stantes secus stagnum : piscatores autem descenderant, et lavabant retia.
[3] And going into one of the ships that was Simon's, he desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting he taught the multitudes out of the ship.
Ascendens autem in unam navim, quae erat Simonis, rogavit eum a terra reducere pusillum. Et sedens docebat de navicula turbas.
[4] Now when he had ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
Ut cessavit autem loqui, dixit ad Simonem : Duc in altum, et laxate retia vestra in capturam.
[5] And Simon answering said to him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing: but at thy word I will let down the net.
Et respondens Simon, dixit illi : Praeceptor, per totam noctem laborantes nihil cepimus : in verbo autem tuo laxabo rete.
[6] And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke.[1]
Et cum hoc fecissent, concluserunt piscium multitudinem copiosam : rumpebatur autem rete eorum.
[7] And they beckoned to their partners [2] that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking.

Homo peccator sum. JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

Et annuerunt sociis, qui erant in alia navi, ut venirent, et adjuvarent eos. Et venerunt, et impleverunt ambas naviculas, ita ut pene mergerentur.
[8] Which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying: Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Quod cum vidisset Simon Petrus, procidit ad genua Jesu, dicens : Exi a me, quia homo peccator sum, Domine.

[9] For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.
Stupor enim circumdederat eum, et omnes qui cum illo erant, in captura piscium, quam ceperant :
[10] And so were also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men.[3]
similiter autem Jacobum et Joannem, filios Zebedaei, qui erunt socii Simonis. Et ait ad Simonem Jesus : Noli timere : ex hoc jam homines eris capiens.
[11] And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him.
Et subductis ad terram navibus, relictis omnibus, secuti sunt eum.  [Luke 5]

Cornelius a Lapide's notes

[1]  Ver. 6. Behold here the fruit and reward of obedience. Jesus did this—1. In order that by providing them with food, He might prepare them for their vocation and ministry. I have chosen you to be My disciples, make not excuse that ye must work for your livelihood as fishermen. Behold this miraculous draft of fishes, and believe that I am able to provide you with all things necessary for life more easily and more abundantly than ye are able to provide them yourselves. 2. To teach from this miracle, that they were soon to become successful fishers of men.

[2] Ver. 7.—And they beckoned unto their partners—becausefrom joy and wondering astonishment they were unable to speak.

[3] Ver. 10.— from henceforth thou shalt catch men. ζωγζω̃ν from ζωγζέω, which means—

First, to hunt or catch some living thing, hence the Arabic translates it, from henceforth thou shalt be a fisherman, for thou shalt fish for and take men. Thou, Peter, shalt catch men, not by wounding and disabling them, as wild animals are taken; but as fish which are unhurt by the net, so thou shalt catch men not by violence or force, but through the power and operation of the spirit.

Secondly (if we derive the word from ζω̃ν and ε̉γζομαι or ε̉γείζω, to quicken, or recall to life. Hence S. Ambrose (Hexam., lib. v. cap. vi.) “Thou shalt be a life-giver to men;” and the Syriac, “Thou shalt be a fisher of men, to recall them to life.” Fishermen, indeed, catch fish to provide themselves with food, but thou, O Peter, art to become a fisher of men, not to destroy them, but to give them life by raising them from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness, for like as fish taken from the water die, so men caught by thee become dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, and, in a sense, as fish are assimilated by those who feed on them, so do those who are inclosed in the Gospel net, become in very truth members of Christ. Figuratively, the ship of Peter is the Church, the head of which is Peter and his successors. The Pope is therefore the chief fisherman to whom the words of Christ apply, “Thou shalt catch men.” It is the duty, therefore, of the Roman Pontiff directly and by means of others to convert the heathen, as the early occupants of the see of Rome converted the Roman people and sent apostolic men to preach the word of life to heathen lands.

Thus S. Gregory sent Augustine to convert the English people.

S. Ambrose observes, that some men, e.g., the martyrs, like fish, are taken by the hook; others, i.e., the body of the faithful, by the net, and adds, “Nets are the means whereby the Apostles catch men, for nets do not destroy but preserve what they take, and bring to the surface that which is floating below.”
Nets are called in Latin “retia,” because they are retentive “retinentia,” of that which they have taken.—Gloss.

 Sancte Petre, ora pro nobis.