3rd Sunday of Easter
Acts 5: 27-32, 40b-41; Psalm 29; Rv. 5: 11-14; Jn. 21: 1-19
Read: Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said: “I am going fishing.” They replied: “We will come with you.” They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.
The following morning at daybreak Jesus stood on the shore though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. He called out: “Have you caught anything friends?” When they answered “No”, he said: “Throw the net out to starboard and you will find something.” So, they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in! The disciple Jesus loved said to Pater: “It is the Lord.” Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak around himself and jumped into the water. The other disciples, as they were not far away from land but only about one hundred yards afar, came close to help drag the net full of fish.
Reflect: In our parishes and churches, how many times do we make ambitious pastoral programmes; in our families we make use of the latest psychological techniques so as always better to educate our children; we make every effort, make plans ….. but this notwithstanding, we know that that even our best efforts are not always successful.
It is possible that, in our lives, something similar to that experienced by the seven disciples in today’s gospel reading happens to us. After Easter they went fishing; they were experienced fishermen and had willpower. They worked throughout the night, but did not catch anything. Their efforts produced no results; they acted in the dark without the light of the Word of the Risen Christ. And this is what we sometimes do.
At times, what Jesus tells us, the Word appears, according to our own mind, not to make any sense, remote from any logic, seemingly contrary to common sense; for example, when Jesus tells us things such as to work for peace without the use of violence, or not to turn aside our face, to love our enemy, to be poor in spirit …. these are instances where such advice seems absurd to us, the same as was the advice to the apostles to drop their nets in the sea during daylight. But the choice is between having faith in Jesus and in his words and you will have an effective result, or for one to be hard-headed and to muddle through without concluding anything.
Pray: Without You, Lord, without your Word, we are unable to do anything.
Act: “Do whatever He tells you.” (Jn. 2:5)