14 April, 2023 | Friday in the Octave of Easter

 Gospel Jn 21:1-14

Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.

He revealed himself in this way.

Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,

Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,

Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples.

Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."

They said to him, "We also will come with you."

So they went out and got into the boat,

but that night they caught nothing.

When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;

but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?"

They answered him, "No."

So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat

and you will find something."

So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in

because of the number of fish.

So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord."

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,

he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,

and jumped into the sea.

The other disciples came in the boat,

for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,

dragging the net with the fish.

When they climbed out on shore,

they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.

Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught."

So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore

full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.

Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.

Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast."

And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?"

because they realized it was the Lord.

Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,

and in like manner the fish.

This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples

after being raised from the dead.

Reflections:

There are three things we can notice here in the Gospel. First, Peter is disappointed and does not know what to do; therefore, returning to his old way of life, i.e., fishing, gives him the unfortunate result of not catching any fish. The second is the love and providence of the Lord; The resurrected Lord, who appeared a third time to them, intervenes in their activity and, since he has command over nature, could direct them where to catch the fish in abundance. The third is Jesus himself, the host, who prepares an unexpected meal for those who become his guests. 

Jesus called the disciples to fish for people. They are weak but empowered to do great things with his presence and guidance. Jesus’ resurrection was no illusion but a transforming event in real space and time. His presence is constant in our life too. He is with us whether our life is easy, hard or somewhere in between. 

Activity:

 Seek tangible moments to acknowledge that Jesus is in our midst.

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