THAT NIGHT THEY CAUGHT NOTHING

At 4,1-12; Ps 117; Jn 21,1-14
6 APRIL
Why does the Apostle John place the episode of miraculous fishing at the end of his Gospel? Is not the Holy Spirit enough to Peter and the other Apostles to go to the world and fish men for the kingdom of God? Evidently not! In fact, even though the Apostles received the Holy Spirit, despite having gone to sea, the nets are empty. They return to shore without having taken anything. The teaching that the Evangelist offers us is of a highly divine light. Christ and the Holy Spirit, the Word and the interior or exterior motion of the Spirit of the Lord must be one. It is as if he wanted to tell us that the Spirit of the Lord must always be a present gift of Christ Jesus. He gives us both the Word and Holy Spirit, his Will and all the wisdom and intelligence of the Holy Spirit and fishing might always be very abundant. If we separate Christ and the Spirit, Word and gifts of the Spirit, Gospel and Charismas, Word and Ministries, we can also work very much, all night long, in the end the net is empty.

How can we always concretely unite Christ Jesus, the Word, the Gospel, the Holy Spirit, the Gifts, the Charismas and the Ministries, making them always be one? The way is the same that was of Lord Jesus. By becoming we one single heart, one soul, one spirit, one body and one life with Him. We are not the ones who can create unity. It is He the one who has always to create it. But He does not create it outside of us. He creates it from within us. He creates it to the extent that we allow him to become our own life, transforming us into his life. This process of “christification” must never be interrupted; each day it will have to become stronger, more intense, more alive, totalizing all of our life. They are in great error all those who think that a prayer is enough for the Holy Spirit to be placed at our disposal. The Spirit of God always acts in us by Christ, through Christ and in Christ. We grow in Christ and we grow in the power of the Holy Spirit. We decrease in Christ and we decrease in the Holy Spirit. This truth must never be forgotten, never neglected. In this truth, our work is.

After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.

How will the world know that in the disciples there is Christ, He acts and works? How might they be recognized as the life of Christ in the world? In the same way according to which today Jesus makes himself be recognized by his own: always and in every place living with all humility the law of love. If the other person does not see the love of Christ, he will never be converted to Christ. He sees people without love, while Christ Jesus is love. He sees men without humanity, while Christ Jesus is charity and history made flesh. John sees a person that serves with delicate love and recognizes that he is the Lord. When Jesus lives in the disciple, the disciple will always manifest in his life Christ who loves with true love.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us true life of Christ Jesus.