3rd Sunday of Easter
Today’s gospel contains one of my favorite sayings from Peter: “I’m going fishing”. To fully appreciate this statement, we must remember the emotional journey that Peter and the other disciples had barely started. They had begun an earlier journey with Jesus of Nazareth, thinking the long-awaited Jewish messiah had finally arrived. However, he was not exactly what they had expected him to be. Moreover, he had just been condemned and crucified. Besides all of this, this Nazarean was supposed to have risen from the dead, and, in fact, he had visited them in the upper room.
Peter simply was unable to wrap his mind around all of these occurrences. He also remembered how, in a moment of stress and weakness, he had betrayed and denied even having known this Jesus. Like many of us, when we feel we are on an emotional roller coaster and cannot seem to be able to get a handle on what’s happening to us or around us, we return to the comfortable and familiar. So Peter says: I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going fishing”. They follow.
Imagine yourself in the boat with Peter and his fellow fishermen. Listen. Are they sharing their decision to return to their familiar surroundings, or are they chatting about their disappointment and disillusionment concerning this “so-called” Jewish messiah? Maybe they are merely talking about their catch or lack of such. Yet, for us, He has indeed risen. Because of that fact, he will prepare breakfast for them and continue to feed his followers down the centuries, especially in the Eucharist. We give thanks and return to him. He is always there for us.
Prayer:
Risen Lord, help us trust in moments of stress or disappointment that when You invite us to cast our net to the other side, you will provide us with all we need and more. We pray for minds and hearts open to listen! Amen.
