Bruno of Segni was a prominent Italian bishop (c. 1040/50 – 1123) who served as Bishop of
Segni, a monk at Monte Cassino, and advisor to several popes. He was a
significant figure in medieval theology, known for his scriptural
commentaries and defending Church doctrine, and was canonized as a
saint.
IX. Now as He was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Come after Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately, leaving their nets, they followed Him.
Behold, the Lord calls His first disciples from the sea, because through them He had resolved to call many others to faith from the turbulent bitterness of this world. Thus, because they themselves are called by the Lord from the sea, they in turn learn to free the souls of those in danger from the shipwreck of this world and from the rising storms of vices. And just as they were brothers according to the flesh, so also they are to teach others to be brothers in faith and love. For we are all brothers, who are born from one mother, the Church, and are sons of one Father. Hence, all together we say, “Our Father, who art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). For because He is the common Father of all, He is invoked by all in common.
Now the Lord calls fishermen because such men were necessary for Him—men accustomed to the waters and skilled both in fishing and in baptizing. And therefore He does not command them to change their craft, but promises that they will be fishers of a better kind of fishing and of another kind of fish.
He says to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” For unless men were fish, the apostles could not become fishers of men. Such fish are worthy of the banquet of God. Such fish swim in the river of baptism. Such fish are caught by the hook of holy faith and by the nets of preaching. Therefore, they are transferred from sea to sea: from the Sea of Galilee they are cast into this great and spacious sea, where there are creeping things without number, small and great animals, by which all kinds of human beings are signified.
But what does it mean to say, “Follow Me”? To go after Christ is to follow in His footsteps, to imitate His works, to hold fast to His patience and humility. For it is not enough for us to go after Jesus merely with our feet, unless we also follow Him with our mind and with love.
It is well worth considering how great was the obedience of these blessed brothers, who immediately left their nets and followed Him. Hence Simon is not without reason interpreted as “obedient,” and Andrew as “responding” or “beautiful.”
And going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, repairing their nets, and He called them. And they, immediately leaving their nets and their father, followed Him. Nor is a lesser obedience found in these than in the former, because at the voice of a single command they left not only their nets but even their father and followed Christ the Lord.
And these, just like the others, were not only fishermen but also brothers. O blessed warfare that is gathered from brothers, all of whom have one heart and one soul, concerning whom it was also said through the Prophet: “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1).
But what does it mean to repair nets, if not to explain and restore with sound understanding the sentences of Holy Scripture that have been torn and corrupted by the violence of heretics? For these four Gospels are like four fishing nets. Likewise also the five books of Moses and all the books of the prophets. In short, there are as many nets as there are volumes. For by these nets Christians are caught; by these all the faithful are gathered into the Church.
“Go,” says the Lord, “into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). You see, therefore, the fishermen to whom it is said, “Go into the whole world”; you see also the nets, that is, the Gospel, of which it is said, “preach the Gospel to every creature”; you see also the waters in which the fish are caught, that is, baptism; and you see the fish themselves, namely those who are baptized and believe.
X. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. For this is what we explained above: that in the former time the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali were relieved not only of the burden of sins but also of bodily sickness.
And His fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to Him all who were ill, afflicted with various diseases and torments, those possessed by demons, the lunatic, and the paralytic, and He healed them. Behold how suddenly Christ is manifested; behold how swiftly the fame and report of His power fills the land. From everywhere all the sick and afflicted are brought to Him, and He, as the true physician, heals all infirmities, both inward and outward. For this the prophet had foretold, saying, “Truly He has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
And great crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
CONTINUE
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