Reflection for Friday With Easter Octave.
By
Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Director, Social Action Movement, Don Bosco Bidar
Gospel Reading for today
John 21:1-14
Jesus stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We’ll come with you.’ They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.
It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ At these words ‘It is the Lord’, Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.
As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.
Reflection on the Readings
To keep doing something and yet not having any results can be summed up in one word, and that futile.
Not only is it futile, it is also annoying, to say the least.
So, for the person(s) doing that something which is futile, and for the person(s) looking at it, both parties will have the same annoying feeling.
So we can imagine how annoyed were Peter and the rest of the disciples who went fishing but caught nothing that night.
We can be sure that they lowered the nets time and again throughout the whole night but still caught nothing.
But when Jesus stood on the shore and called out to them, something changed.
They caught so much fish that they could not haul it in, and there was even breakfast when they came ashore.
Indeed, without Jesus, the situation will be futile and annoying.
But with Jesus, everything will be fruitful, and there will be rejoicing.
Let us always call upon Jesus in whatever we do, so that He will bless the labour of our hands and that we will bear fruits of rejoicing.
GOD BLESS YOU
Good morning. Have a nice day.
Let's pray for the sick and suffering brethren.
Let's earnestly uphold the forthcoming state Elections in our prayers to be free fair and credible.