(Meal with the Apostles - James Tissot)
"Come, have breakfast"
John 21: 1 - 19
There is probably no activity that demands more patience than
that of fishing, with the exception of golf. You have to play that game
constantly to achieve any accuracy. Or so it seems.
Anyone who has gone fishing well knows that despite their
personal efforts, there is no guarantee they will catch anything. The factors may be the location, the weather,
the temperature of the water, or the time of day. Growing up I well remember
summer time on the lakes of northern Wisconsin and part of what we did was take
out a boat and hope we would catch some delicious fresh water bluegill,
sunfish, or the more elusive norther pike or bass. Frankly, it seems we always
did - well a bit of a fish story there.
Today’s Gospel (Jn 21: 1-19) is a favorite post-resurrection
story which finds several of the disciples strangely returning to their
previous way of life. It may seem a bit
out of place and we may wonder how they could have done so after seeing the
risen Lord already twice before. The “ordinary” factor seems a bit out of
character for the situation. Did they just forget what happened and who
appeared to them? Did they give up the disciple thing? This is a favorite
literary device that John uses but surely has some historical basis.
Yet, it serves a purpose.
For the disciples, even after the resurrection, it took time for them to
wrap their heads, hearts and minds around its implications. From the shore, in
the early morning light of dawn, they see someone. He suggests: “Cast your net over the right side of the
boat . . .” Maybe this person can see something we don’t see? So they do and they catch an abundance, so
many fish in the net they “were not able
to pull it in.”
Then, the scene dramatically changes: “So the disciple whom Jesus loved (John), said to Peter, ‘It is the
Lord!’” In that moment of recognition, they may have remembered a similar
event about three years before when Jesus first called them and told them to do
the same, with the same astonishing results (Lk 5: 4 – 11).
Yet now it is the same Jesus but risen who calls to them and
they all rush to the shore to find an early morning breakfast cooking for
them. How often had Jesus fed the hungry
crowds, gathered around a table at dinner time in the home of “sinners,”
appeared to the disciples at Emmaus to break bread, shared a dark moment at the
last supper but now all is light and new life. It is dawn, the early morning
light, a new day begins. This is not the Last Supper on the night before his
death it is now the first breakfast of new life at dawn.
So, the scene in itself is stunning as the disciples sat there,
for the third time, before the risen Lord, when I might assume they were
somewhat speechless. After all, what
could you say to the now risen Lord and in fact it seems John implies they may
have said very little: “None of the
disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they realized it was the
Lord.” As further proof this person before them was the same who walked and
taught with them, Jesus: “took the bread
and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish.” Remember what he did not
long before on the hillside before a massive crowd of thousands? Remember how
he took that bread and fish and gave it to them? (Mark 6 and John 6 for example). Yes, it is
the same Christ Jesus who is now recognized, as Thomas earlier stated, as “Lord and God.” (Jn 20: 27-29).
So, this became a moment for Jesus to speak to them and Peter
in particular. As Peter denied knowing
Jesus just a week or two before, our Lord now asks him: “Do you love me?” Three times Jesus asks Peter this question and
three times Peter says: “Yes, Lord, you
know that I love you.” This love is an encounter with fellowship love, (Agape)
a commitment that brings about unity and community among God and his people.
As Jesus offers Peter redemption for his abandonment at Jesus’
darkest hour, he now offers Peter, and the other disciples as well, the
commission to go and “feed my sheep.”
The Apostles may have wondered who would be “in charge” when Jesus is no longer
among them. Here he tells them, Peter.
While Peter is of course first among the disciples, each of
them in their own missionary journey, will plant the seeds of faith and the
foundations of the Church and they will pay for it with their lives as Jesus
did. In spite of their human frailty and ignorance, the risen Lord entrusts the
treasure of the good news to them and to many beyond them.
Our first reading from Acts 5: 27-32 illustrates what an
impressive transformation the resurrection experience finally made for these
crucial men. In spite of fierce opposition and personal threats on their lives,
Peter and the now apostles leave the Sanhedrin as Peter fearlessly states: “We must obey God rather than men . . . so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin
rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of
the (Jesus’) name.”
And this is now brought to us.
We too gather around food and drink each Sunday. We are the people of God, in all positions of
leadership and responsibility, called to pastor God’s people. Whether Pope, Bishop, priest, committed
religious, lay single person or faithful married couple, we all share in that
same missionary call to feed God’s “sheep” each in our own situation and moment
in time.
At the celebration of the Eucharist we gather, we are fed by
his Word and then Christ feeds us with himself.
And then we are sent to “announce the Gospel of the Lord.”
Jesus certainly knew that his disciples could never accomplish
what he asked them to do on their own limited ability. So, the Spirit is promised and eventually
sent to be the keeper of truth and divine guide as we each discern what it is
we have been sent to preach and live in the name of Christ the risen Lord.
So, maybe fishing is one activity that can teach us
patience. But, it was also used by God
to change the world. Think of that the
next time you look at a lake, river, or the vast Ocean itself or maybe even
cast out for a catch.
May your people exult for ever, O God,
in renewed youthfulness of spirit,
so that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption,
we may look forward in confident hope
to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
(Collect of Mass)
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