Fr. Vincent Munari
May 5th 2019.
Reflection on the Gospel of the 3rd Sunday of Easter.
The last chapter of John’s Gospel seems to conclude the revelations of Jesus to the Apostle Peter, as reported in the 4th Gospel.
His life with the Master started 3 years before, while he was busy with his fishing trade after a catch of fish (Lc 5, 4-11) , and ends here with another good catch of fish.
Now the situation is totally different: Jesus is risen to new life; Peter is sorry and upset: he was unable to control his fear, and, challenged by the words of a servant of the High priest during the trial, he denied Christ. The cock had crowed 3 times; Jesus had turned and looked at Peter: he was able only to run away and cry bitterly (Jn. 18, 25).
Now the proposal of Peter to go fishing sounds like an effort to forget the not glorious past. What is surprising is the fact that another fishing action in the same setup produces another miracle and renews the vocation in Peter. This tells us that the Lord is able to use unusual ways to make Peter, and also all of us, remember and come back to the origin of our vocation and relation with Him, if we miss the road towards Him.
Early in the morning, the time of the discovering of the empty tomb, though not on the same day, the people in the boat are rowing towards the bank, sorry for the fruitless night effort; and the Risen Lord appears; he is asking for some fish to add to the breakfast he is preparing. The men in the boat deny having any and Jesus tells them what to do: “throw the net on the right side of the boat!” (cf. Jn. 21, 6)
Jesus asks always for something: to the Samaritan woman for some water: to the boy in the crowd following Him for 5 loaves and 2 fish; to a disciple wishing to follow him , to give everything to the poor…. He himself does not need anything but he wants to start from a situation of need because his teaching was and is always: “what you do to others, you do it to me” (Mt. 29, 25). The surprise that fills us with joy when we are generous with God is always like this: a catch of 153 big fish! Indeed we can have the same joyous experience if we try to obey the interior voice of Jesus when he calls us and asks us to follow his projects or asks for a commitment towards others.
Why 153 fish? Clearly this is a symbolic number. According to the Càbala (popular guessing technique), the number indicates all types of the fish known at the time and all people to enter the Kingdom; and 153 is the result of addition of 1+2+3+4 …. Up to 17, and 17 is the result 10+7, two numbers indicating perfection. Think of the 10 commandments and the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit. Here it indicates the perfection of the love that Christ is and has.
May 5th 2019.
Reflection on the Gospel of the 3rd Sunday of Easter.
The last chapter of John’s Gospel seems to conclude the revelations of Jesus to the Apostle Peter, as reported in the 4th Gospel.
His life with the Master started 3 years before, while he was busy with his fishing trade after a catch of fish (Lc 5, 4-11) , and ends here with another good catch of fish.
Now the situation is totally different: Jesus is risen to new life; Peter is sorry and upset: he was unable to control his fear, and, challenged by the words of a servant of the High priest during the trial, he denied Christ. The cock had crowed 3 times; Jesus had turned and looked at Peter: he was able only to run away and cry bitterly (Jn. 18, 25).
Now the proposal of Peter to go fishing sounds like an effort to forget the not glorious past. What is surprising is the fact that another fishing action in the same setup produces another miracle and renews the vocation in Peter. This tells us that the Lord is able to use unusual ways to make Peter, and also all of us, remember and come back to the origin of our vocation and relation with Him, if we miss the road towards Him.
Early in the morning, the time of the discovering of the empty tomb, though not on the same day, the people in the boat are rowing towards the bank, sorry for the fruitless night effort; and the Risen Lord appears; he is asking for some fish to add to the breakfast he is preparing. The men in the boat deny having any and Jesus tells them what to do: “throw the net on the right side of the boat!” (cf. Jn. 21, 6)
Jesus asks always for something: to the Samaritan woman for some water: to the boy in the crowd following Him for 5 loaves and 2 fish; to a disciple wishing to follow him , to give everything to the poor…. He himself does not need anything but he wants to start from a situation of need because his teaching was and is always: “what you do to others, you do it to me” (Mt. 29, 25). The surprise that fills us with joy when we are generous with God is always like this: a catch of 153 big fish! Indeed we can have the same joyous experience if we try to obey the interior voice of Jesus when he calls us and asks us to follow his projects or asks for a commitment towards others.
Why 153 fish? Clearly this is a symbolic number. According to the Càbala (popular guessing technique), the number indicates all types of the fish known at the time and all people to enter the Kingdom; and 153 is the result of addition of 1+2+3+4 …. Up to 17, and 17 is the result 10+7, two numbers indicating perfection. Think of the 10 commandments and the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit. Here it indicates the perfection of the love that Christ is and has.