Because they realized it was the Lord

5 APRIL (Jn 21,1-14)

The narratives about Jesus change after his resurrection, but the purpose is only one: how do you recognize Jesus Christ? Luke reveals us that Jesus is known through the explanation of the Scriptures, the gift of their intelligence, a special sign that Jesus himself gives to his disciples. But John tells us that the visible sign which is the fulfillment of the Word of Jesus is necessary. Every Word of Jesus which is carried out in history, evidences his presence, his proximity and leads to his truth.

For John the Word that takes place in our history is the sign that opens hearts and minds to recognize the Lord. For this to happen attention, meditation and reflection are necessary. Who is distracted by things going on, is hardly aware of the presence of Jesus. He lives the event, but not the mystery contained in it. He makes history without perceiving the great truth that it reveals and manifests.

Meditation, reflection, attention, intelligence, and wisdom, help a man, when he is before the fulfillment of the Word of Jesus, enter into his mystery. It could not be otherwise. The search for God requires the exercise of the heart and mind. Man is a rational nature, as well as bodily, spiritual and sapiential and nothing happens without good use of his wisdom and intelligence.

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.

Peter and the other apostles spend a night without catching anything. It is as if the sea were sand instead of water. Jesus invites Peter to cast the net on the right, for they surely would have caught. Peter listens to, performs the received word. The nets are about to break, so great is the amount of fish caught. John a wise, prudent, knowing, cautious, thoughtful and meditative person, having seen the sign, immediately opens to the faith in the Lord’s presence. It is the Lord, he says to Simon Peter.

Simon Peter dives into the sea and immediately goes to meet Jesus. Meanwhile, Jesus had lit a fire and was preparing some fish for his disciples. Served by Christ Jesus, they eat. They all now know that they are in front of Jesus, but nobody asks him: “Who are you?”. They all know that it is the Lord. How do they go about knowing it? They know it because only Jesus has a word that always takes place and only he is the person with the greatest charity. Only He is the Servant of God who took the last place to be always able to stay in the service of man. When we are in front of a man who occupies the last place, the place of the servants – and this is attested by his humble and full of charity service – and who lives what he says, realizes what he prophesies with his mouth, then there we are before the presence of Lord Jesus. If it is not him in person, he is in the person of his disciples. On the contrary, when we are in front of an abstract truth, Jesus is not there and never might he be recognized. What is missing is the sign: the Word of God made flesh in the disciple.

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