Friday in the Octave of Easter
The apparition on the lake
Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples….Together were Simon Peter, Thomas…, Nathanael,… 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 … 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.”… Jn 21,1-12
“Of course, it was a wonderful adventure to spend three years with Jesus! How many dreams in these three years! Thank goodness that at least he is risen! Eh, though, what a disappointment! Now that everything is over, what do we do? When he was here everything was easy; now on our own what can we do? It will be good to return to the previous life.. What sadness!”. These have been more or less the Peter’s thoughts before deciding: “I’m going fishing”. Decision to which also all the others concurred: “We also will come with you”. Since the misfortunes never come alone, that night, in addition, they did not catch anything. It is in that situation and in front of those moods that Jesus presents himself on the beach and shouts to the apostles, by the tone of someone who already knows the answer: “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”. They said: “No!” and perhaps they have even muttered among themselves: “Turn to off, get out, because we already have too many problems”. At that point, however, the miracle happens, the same as the first miraculous catch, when Peter left everything and followed the Lord. Here the same scene is repeated and, as Peter realizes that the man on the beach is the Lord, he throws himself into the sea, abandons his companions, boat and fish and he joins him. “I felt that he would have not abandoned us. Now a new history begins!” Peter would have thought. It will be so, but not by the same way, because we can always start over again with the Lord, but each time differently.