for April 17
Friday in the Octave of Easter

From now until Pentecost Sunday on May 31, on almost every weekday, the lectionary will take us step by step through the Acts of the Apostles. If you have time during these days of “hunkering down,” follow along with the Acts. Keep up by reading the intervening sections, as well, that are not included in the liturgical cycle. It’s a shame that so many people are relatively unfamiliar with the Acts because it’s such an inspiring story, especially the end with Paul’s shipwrecks as he travels to Rome. (Sorry to divulge the ending. Still a good read.)

Earlier in Chapter 2 of Acts, Luke had remarked that “The many miracles and signs worked through the apostles made a deep impression on everyone.” Last Wednesday, Luke illustrated the point by giving us the story of one of those miracles, the cure of the crippled man. And yesterday we heard one of Peter’s many speeches in Acts, explaining to the people the meaning of that miraculous cure. Today we learn of Peter’s consequent arrest along with his companions and overnight imprisonment (one of many Peter will endure in the course of Acts). The next morning, the court interrogation begins. Luke once again yields the stage to Peter who delivers a defiant speech, this time to the court itself. If any of this reminds you of the legal proceedings against Jesus in the gospel’s passion account, the echos are deliberate. Be sensitive to such parallels all through the Acts and tune in tomorrow for the court’s ominous response to Peter’s speech.

To keep your mind focused on the plot, here are some questions about Acts as we move along: How many times in the Acts does Peter get thrown in jail and how many times does he break out of prison? When does Peter disappear from Acts? Who takes his place as the center character of the story?

Now for some suggestions for spiritual reflection on today’s gospel.

How come the apostles can never catch fish except when Jesus shows them where the fish are? They work all night and catch nothing. But when Jesus shows up, everything changes. It’s a story often repeated in the gospels. Look at the opening verses of Luke, Chapter 5, that are eerily similar to today’s gospel story. Don’t go fishing without taking Jesus along—maybe that’s a good lesson for us, too, metaphorically speaking, of course.

Today’s selection is only the first half of this gospel story in John. (The rest is about Jesus giving Peter an opportunity to make amends for his shameful denials.) This first half of the story emphasizes a central theme in all the resurrection appearances:How does one recognize the risen Lord? In physical terms, this appearance takes place just days, or maybe weeks, after the death of Jesus. Why then does it take a special effort to identify the resurrected Christ with Jesus of Nazareth with whom the disciples were all so familiar? Clearly we are dealing here with more than a physical identification.

Notice that it is the “beloved disciple” who is the first to call out to Peter from the boat, “It is the Lord.” Then later on shore no one has the effrontery to ask bluntly, “Who are you?” because they all knew it was the Lord. The gospels tend to use the word “recognize” to describe this act of acknowledging the risen Lord. (Remember Luke’s account in last Wednesday’s gospel of the disciples at Emmaus “recognizing” Jesus in the breaking of the bread.) Recognition is what today we would call the act of faith. In the fourth gospel the beloved disciple (he is never identified by name) is the symbolic witness who leads the community to that act of faith and validates its authenticity. We saw an example of this special role of the beloved disciple at the empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning. It was the beloved disciple, not Peter, who went into the tomb “and he believed.” His witness is true, the gospel repeatedly insists. 

Today’s gospel gives us an almost playful setting for this act of faith. Jesus, the risen Lord, comes out of the mist on the shore and calls his followers to breakfast on the beach. The informality and intimacy of the setting amazingly does not undermine the awesome mystery being disclosed, but rather seems to enhance it. In our own day, the faithful witness of our community of faith points out to us in so many innumerable ways that “It is the Lord.” If we respond, we will find ourselves in the presence of the Lord. And with a lot of fish, too.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Be patient. Be kind. God bless.
—Walter Modrys SJ

Today’s readings can be found on the US Catholic Conference of Bishops website.