Sunday Scripture Readings

Submitted on May 24, 2007

Fr. Francis X. Cleary, SJ

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER, APRIL 25 Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 OUR GOOD NEWS: The risen Lord summons and empowers His Church to joyful praise of God, through faithful, worldwide witness that inevitably includes suffering and persecution. Peter, whom Jesus had called to be a "fisher of men," was fishing in his boat with other disciples (a total of seven, number of fulfillment and perfection — see the seven divine titles of Jesus, second reading). Since without Jesus we can do nothing (Jn 15:5), merely human effort succeeded in catching nothing. Then suddenly the risen Lord was with them, giving instructions and the support of his presence. By faithfully obeying, the disciples enjoyed astonishing success. So too the Church, Peter’s barque, is empowered to fulfill her missionary charge. Evangelism is divine rather than human achievement and conditioned upon intimate, obedient union with the Lord present and ruling in her midst. This story has something to say about the extent of the Church’s missionary outreach, but also what should be the constant concern of her internal pastoral ministry. "In spite of the great number of sizable fish — 153 of them! — the net was not torn." "One, holy, catholic and apostolic" implies a truly universal community but also assumes wide diversity. The Church experiences centrifugal pressures. She is impelled outward, to worldwide mission, but must also labor to preserve her unity amid inevitable pulling and pushing. Another theme of today’s Gospel surfaces in the emphatic eucharistic overtones. Jesus remains with His followers, empowering their efforts as they cast their net according to their calling (evangelization). His presence also enables the many to become one (ministry within the community). We encounter Jesus in His Church through a regular event that celebrates our oneness and makes it grow. Technical verbs used — Jesus "took the bread and gave it to them" — allude to that great sacrament by which we anticipate the Messianic (heavenly) banquet, and through which we become reconciled with God and one another. (This latter grace is ritually acted out during the exchange of peace just before Communion.) Finally, Jesus commissioned Peter with pastoral authority over His Church. Earlier, Peter insisted on following Jesus even to laying down his life for him, but Jesus had replied by predicting a threefold denial at cockcrow (see Jn 13:37-38). Two of these betrayals had taken place beside a charcoal fire (see Jn 18:18). Now, again at dawn and again by a charcoal fire, Peter the straying sheep returned to his Shepherd with a threefold profession of love, in a solemn ceremony of investiture as leader of the Church/flock. Every disciple seeks to imitate the Master, but Peter was especially privileged, summoned to "follow" Jesus even to sharing the same fate of martyrdom.