"Be Not Ashamed."  These are the words of a Kentucky poet and express a human response to exposure to light, to revelation, suggesting that far better than shame is a rejection of it, a belief rather in goodness.

The Scriptures speak of the same situation.  Isaiah's first response to a vision of divine glory is: "Woe is me.  I am doomed.  For I am a man of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts." (Is 6:5)

His eyes saw, his ears heard, but he speaks of unclean lips.  We reveal ourselves in our speech, perhaps that is the reason.

St. Paul sums up the teaching he received,  but cannot help recalling his unworthiness -- says he the least of the apostles: none of them persecuted Christ's followers as he had done.  He says he does not deserve the name, gives all credit to grace, notes how hard he works for the cause to support his claim to be heard nonetheless. (1 Cor 15:9-10)

In the Gospel (Lk 5:1-11), in the face of an obvious wonder that a fisherman would recognize as a real marvel, Peter is filled with shame.  He and his partners worked all night, caught nothing. No need to tell him he might move past the shoal into deeper water: as if they had not long since done so, and more than once. But out of courtesy and respect for Christ, who was after all no fisherman and not expected to know much about it, he did as was suggested.  He got more than he counted on, a great deal more.

And the first reaction, you note, is not thanks for the wonder, marvel at this demonstration, but self-awareness.  Like being suddenly in the presence of beauty and realizing you are not much. Like singing a song and thinking you did pretty well, and then someone rises and sings like nothing you ever heard.  In the presence of the good, we sense our lack of it.  "Depart from me, Lord.  I am a sinful man." (Lk 5:8).

Peter was impulsive, volatile, hearty.  His reaction is immediate, his answer swift.  "You have no business dealing with people like me.  You picked the wrong man.  Depart.  Surely you can do better."

A sense of human need can come on suddenly, a light in a dark room.  It can come on slowly, a gradual awareness that grows more clear.  Sometimes it is an abiding sense of guilt that seems permanent, present both when we do pretty well, just as much as when not so well.  More often it is an occasional and usually sudden grasp of what we really amount to.  And we are relieved when it passes, when we can can get rid of the sensation.

All of which is a basic human experience. We are born in original sin and we never quite succeed in forgetting it.  Later lapses into sin, early and late, only confirm our memories. And sometimes the way we are treated by others, also early and late, will substantiate first impressions and leave us guilt-ridden and unworthy.  Sorrow over sin is healthy.  Believing in God's merciful, forgiving love, even more so.  All the tactics and techniques of therapy, psychiatry, psychology, so highly developed in our times, are all very helpful.  But the ultimate healing is spiritual.  We are a deep people.  We are, after all, immortal.  Thus in our faith in God, in Christ's redeeming love, is our healing sunshine.  A mystery often to be returned to, pondered on, mused over.  Mere knowledge is not much help.  It needs to be experienced.  And experience for the soul means reflecting on the mystery of love.

The angel touched the lips of the prophet with live coal.  This symbolizes healing, purifying.  Through the symbol of speech, we reveal ourselves, the lips are touched with divine fire that we may be made whole and good.

St. Paul never forgot where he came from, but he also never forgot about what God had done for him.

Christ did not answer Peter's request, though Peter answered His. He did not depart, for He knew that would do no more than leave Peter to his situation.  He rather drew Peter closer.  In the end, after a tumultuous relationship, Peter made it to happiness and joy in God.

We can do as much.  Christ does not depart from us.  Never.  Let us not depart from Him, recognize who and what we are, but never commit to shame.  Rather, admit we are sinners, who are dearly loved.  And loved by Jesus Christ, Son of the Almighty Lord.  We must hold our ground and fearlessly maintain it.  It is our salvation and our glory.   "Do not be ashamed."