From the words of His Holiness Pope Shenouda in the Service Conference at Fleming, Alexandria on 23/8/1977

God is the One who calls to service. He may call people who are not thinking about this matter at all: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” (John 15:16).

The Lord passed by Peter and Andrew while they were busy fishing, and they had spent the whole night without catching anything. While they were occupied with the matters of the world and failing in them, He said to them:

“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

(Matthew 4:19). Thus, the success of the service was not due to their zeal…

In the same way He passed by Matthew while he was engrossed in the tax office and said to him, “Follow Me.” He also passed by Saul of Tarsus while he was occupied with persecuting the Church and called him to service as a chosen vessel to guide the Gentiles.

The Lord knows the types of souls suitable for catching people, even if they are busy catching fish. He knows them where they are and calls them to His service…

“Follow Me, and I will make you…”

You cannot serve unless you walk behind Christ… behind Him in His style and His method, in His calling, and in everything. You must have discipleship to Christ; you must know how to walk behind Him, and then He will make you a fisher of men.

You cannot make yourself a fisher; rather, He makes you one.
Not your intelligence, nor your experience, nor another leadership, nor your effort or your skills, but Christ is the One who makes you a fisher of men.

You will toil all night and catch nothing, until the Lord comes and teaches you how to cast your nets into the deep, and says to you: “Follow Me. Walk in My way and in My method, with the same approach, and I will make you, I will choose you, I will send you My grace, place My Spirit in you, and teach you how to fish.”

The Winner of Souls Is Wise

The winner of souls has many qualities: active, intelligent, and self-sacrificing. But among his most important qualities is that he be wise. Look at the Apostle Paul when he said: “To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews… to the Greeks as a Greek, that I might win the Greeks… to those without law, as without law… I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:20–22).

Let the servant be wise, but with a divine wisdom descending from above…

It is the wisdom of a person who has experienced the spiritual path and walked in it, who knows the nature of people, and who knows the spiritual wars and the tricks of the devils. He knows how to say the word that suits each person, at the appropriate time.

There are servants who led others by wrong methods and imposed on them spiritual practices above their level, making the path difficult for them and causing them to become troubled.

These servants became like the Pharisees who placed heavy burdens on people’s shoulders, hard to bear, thinking that difficulty means a higher level. Neither did they enter, nor did they allow those entering to enter.

They teach people ideals that are outside the range of practical application…

They themselves have not experienced them, but rather knew them by hearing or reading. They say to people: whoever does not do such and such is not a servant, and whoever does not do such and such is not a Christian. The listeners become doubtful, and perhaps they abandon the service. They forget the saying of the Apostle Paul: “I fed you with milk and not with solid food, for until now you were not able to receive it.” (1 Corinthians 3:2), and the saying of the apostolic fathers: “We should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God.” (Acts 15:19), and the saying of the Lord of Glory: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” (John 16:12).

We do not burden people. But this does not mean that we become lenient.

No, we do not become lenient regarding any commandment of God. But we train them in them one by one. We lead them gradually until they reach.

Also, if you want to be a fisher of men, do not involve them in your personal problems, and do not stamp people with your own character.

Do not try to bring them all into monasticism if you love monasticism. And do not push them toward marriage if that is your path. Do not speak to them about church problems if you have a problem.

Every person you meet in service has his own psychology and his own level.

He has his own circumstances and his own nature. He may not be a copy of you. Leave him in his path. Guide him to the pure truth, not to the path that you believe in and choose for yourself. Perhaps you love solitude, while he loves service. Perhaps the solitude that suits you does not suit him.

The wise fisher has among his prominent qualities: patience.

He casts the net or the hook and waits. He may wait a long time, but he does not grow weary. So also is the fisher of men. If you are impatient and want quick fruit in service, otherwise you abandon it, then you are not a wise fisher. If you give advice and the listener does not act upon it, do not be troubled and do not grow weary of advising.

Service requires long-suffering toward sinners until they repent.

Be patient with the argumentative student in your class, and be patient with the deviating young man, and be patient with the one bound by a habit until he is freed from it.

The Lord Christ also likened Himself in service to the sower who went out to sow. The sower also is very patient. He casts his seed and does not hurry its growth. Every plant has its own nature, and it will appear in the fullness of time.

Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – in Al-Kiraza Magazine – Year Eight (Issue Forty) – 7-10-1977.

For better translation support, please contact the center.