At the time of our Lord, dragnets were used to catch fish. It was a net that was pulled between two boats. They are about 100 feet long and about 10 feet deep.

As the dragnet moves through the water, it forms a kind of curved wall that catches every kind of fish, good fish and trash fish. It doesn’t discriminate.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells us the church is like a dragnet. Its doors are open to everyone in its path: good people and bad, selfless people and selfish people, thoughtful people and thoughtless people.

When we find all sorts of sinners in the church, we shouldn’t be disturbed. Jesus said it would be that way. In fact, the church is the only organization I know if that you have to be unworthy to join.

When a dragnet is brought in, the fishermen sort out the good fish from the bad. When the time comes, it will be Jesus who will sort out the good from the bad. That is not our job. In the meantime, we should welcome everyone!

God bless.