Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore.  Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.  When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch."  Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.  Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets."  When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"  For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people."  When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

We learned in Mark 6.34 that Jesus' pity on us results in him teaching us.  Christ is always the teacher, we are always students in the school of love.  Here Jesus is teaching again, in a boat "a little way out from shore."  When he finishes teaching he tells Peter to "launch out into the deep."  This is akin to the movement from meditation to contemplation.  We always begin with the discursive reasoning process by which we learn of God's law from him, learn to recognize and overcome our faults, learn to grow in love.  But when Christ wishes to be alone with the soul, to teach it deeper mysteries which transcend the conscious intellect, to give it special graces, he invites it out into the deep.  Such a movement is always by invitation only.  It is disastrous for the soul to seek such a movement without being commanded by the Lord.

So Peter obeys, but not without first saying he has already tried this before and his efforts were fruitless.  They are fruitless, O soul, when you act without Christ's invitation or command.  But holy Peter is like that son who is at first reluctant but obeys his father.  When we receive the invitation let us not be like the zealous son who does not actually go.  (Matthew 21.28-30)

What can be communicated to the soul in the deep of contemplative gazing is so far beyond the shallow but necessary waters of normal learning it can truly be likened to a fishing boat overflowing with fish.  Like the boats nearly sinking with fish, like the extreme excess of the excellent water turned wine at Cana, like the many baskets of leftovers at the miracle of the multiplication of loaves, God's graces do not simply fill us up, they fill us till we cannot contain any more and then they overflow.  Love does not know, understand or concern itself with limits.

Peter is so awed by the manifestation of the Divine Presence in this miracle that he casts himself down on the ground in fear before Jesus and begs him to leave him because he is sinful.  This is precisely the reaction of a soul when the light of divine glory shines down upon it.  It is overcome with awe and in trembling sees the enormous gulf between the All Holy and Pure God and its own wretchedness, sins and infidelities.  Sometimes, as in this case, Jesus reaches out and supports the soul, removing its fear so it may receive him and hear his commands.

He brought me to the banqueting house,

and his intention toward me was love.

Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples;

for I am faint with love. 

O that his left hand were under my head,

and that his right hand embraced me!  (Song of Solomon 2.5-6)

Note that the removal of fear, the healing, is for a purpose: Peter is made an apostle.  Christ's healings always have a purpose, there are many examples of this (begin here).

Finally, consider the staggering material wealth just conferred upon the poor fishermen.  It was beyond a doubt far beyond anything within their realm of experience.  Even so, in the presence of the person of Jesus it had no earthly meaning at all.  So it is when the soul is graced with special gifts out in the deep.  When it returns to shore all material, earthly goods are as absolutely nothing.