John 21:1-14

Reflection

Jesus appears to a number of disciples by the Sea of Galilee. They go fishing at night but catch nothing. Jesus then appears on the shore and tells them to cast their net in again. This time, it’s filled with fish. At this, they recognize Jesus and Peter jumps into the sea. They all proceed to have breakfast with Jesus after hauling in the fish.

This episode reflects the first time Jesus asks Peter and some other disciples to cast their nets into the sea. Initially, they were skeptical, but in today’s Gospel, they immediately obey. Both stories end with the declaration of Jesus as Lord.

Sometimes, Jesus reveals himself to us in similar ways during different points in our lives. The first time requires great trust (usually mixed with skepticism), yet we are richly rewarded. The second time, it may be a reminder to trust again, for he did not disappoint initially. Jesus is always asking us to trust him, even in the most normal circumstances. We might become tired or confident that we don’t need him in those situations, but that is false. We always need the Lord, for his grace gets us through each day. We want our response to be yes, to trust in him and remember that Jesus is our God.

Saint of the Day

St. Mark the Evangelist: died AD 68

St. Mark was the son of Mary of Jerusalem. Tradition posits that he was an interpreter for St. Peter, and that his Gospel is based largely upon Peter’s account. St. Mark was martyred by being dragged through the streets of Alexandria. St. Mark, pray for us!