Daily Reflection – 4/5/2024
Sacred Scripture
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, Nathaniel 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. (John 21:1-14)
Reflection
When life gets difficult, when we become lost, confused, and afraid, when the changes of life are not what we wanted or think we deserve we tend to run away. We try to go back to the way it was before – to something safe, something familiar.
Peter and six others have returned to the sea. They left Jerusalem. They came home to the Sea of Tiberias, the place where it all began. It is familiar and comfortable. Perhaps it takes them back to life before Jesus. The others are quick to join them.
I suspect, however, that Peter is not really trying to catch fish as much as he is fishing for answers. What have I done? What were those three years about? Who was Jesus? Where is he? Who am I? What will I do now? Where will I go?
We have all spent time dark nights fishing, asking the same questions as Peter, looking for our place in life, seeking peace, and some sense of understanding and meaning of our life and its events.
“Children, have you caught anything to eat?” Jesus says. This is more a statement of fact than a question. He is commenting on the reality and emptiness of Peter’s and the other disciples’ lives. Peter is living in the pain and the past of Good Friday. He is fishing on the Good Friday side of the boat and the net is empty.
I wonder how many times in our life that we have been fishing on the wrong side of the boat? Jesus seems to think so. “Cast your net to the right side of the boat,” Jesus says, the resurrection side of the boat. This movement of the net from one side of the boat to the other symbolizes the disciples’ resurrection. It is the great Passover. Jesus calls his friends and us to move out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life. In so doing we see and proclaim, “It is the Lord,” and emptiness gives way to the abundance of a net full of fish, large ones, a hundred fifty-three of them.
Darkness turns to dawn and brings a new day with new light. The last supper has become the first breakfast. Confessions of love overcome denials of fear.
“It is the Lord.” Dark night fishing is over. This is Easter. Good Friday is real. Pain, death, sin are a reality of life. But the greater and final reality is Easter resurrection.
“Follow me,” Jesus says, “and live as resurrected people. Follow me and fish in a different place. Follow me.” “Follow me” is the invitation to examine where we have been fishing. On which side of the boat do we fish? On which side of the cross do we live? Good Friday or Easter resurrection?
We know the answer.
To live His love, to be His presence to one another, to love others as he commanded, to have faith that we are in His hands, we must live in the glory of His resurrection. Yes, there are periods when we feel pain, loss and disappointment. Yes, there are times when we may even wonder why events are happening because we can’t “see” him. But we must yield to Him, trust in Him, know Him by living His word.
When we live His word, we are as close to Him as we can be in this earthly life. He died so we may live then let’s live in His glory, trusting and believing that His love will always sustain us.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus, you are the Resurrection and the Life. Increase my faith in the power of your resurrection that I may never doubt your word nor stray from your presence.”
Daily Note
John’s prompt recognition of the Master – “It is the Lord”! and Peter’s immediate response to run to the Lord – stands in sharp contrast to Peter’s previous denial of his Master during the night of Jesus’ arrest. The Lord Jesus reveals himself to each of us as we open our hearts to hear his word. We must recognize the Lord’s presence in our lives and accept his word with faith and trust.
