Gospel in Art: They left everything and followed him

Come unto me, by Charles Bosseron Chambers,1928 © Christian Art

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 4 September 2025
Luke 5:1-11

At that time: The crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear the word of God. He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.' And Simon answered, 'Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.' And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.' For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.' And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Reflection on the painting

Charles Bosseron Chambers was one of the most widely known Catholic illustrators in America during the first half of the 20th century, sometimes even nicknamed "the Norman Rockwell of Catholic art." His clear, vivid style and direct compositions made his works ideal for publication, and they appeared frequently in Catholic magazines, calendars, holy cards, and book covers. Chambers' father, an Irish-born captain in the British Army, had converted to Catholicism, and so Charles grew up in a deeply devout household. In 1916 he moved to New York, setting up shop in the Carnegie Studios at Carnegie Hall, a prestigious address for any artist. Between the 1920s and 1950s, millions of reproductions of his religious works were circulated, giving him both national recognition and a secure livelihood.

The image before us was commissioned by the Diocese of New York to encourage vocations to the priesthood. It shows a young man immersed in study, while behind him stands Christ, radiant with a burning heart, gazing directly at him. The model was Thomas F Lynch (1911-1979), who posed for a series of such portraits in the late 1920s and early 1930s. This print, entitled Come Unto Me, captures the moment of invitation: Christ calling the young man to follow Him, just as He once called the apostles by the lakeshore. The message is of course timeless, God still calls men and women today to leave behind comfort and security, to offer their gifts for the sake of the Gospel, and to embrace a life of generous service. Like every vocation, this call is not earned but freely given, a grace to be received with courage and trust.

Simon Peter knew this call well. On the shore of Galilee, Jesus invited him to push out into deeper waters, to set aside his old life as a fisherman, and to trust that his skills could be used for something greater. It was the beginning of an adventure that transformed him completely. Chambers' painting reminds us that this same radical invitation continues: Christ still looks each of us in the eye and says, "Follow me."

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-5-1-11-2025-2/