Third Sunday of Easter – Year C

 

So much effort for nothing

 

In the Christian community, we elaborate ambitious pastoral programs; in the family, we implement the most up-to-date psychological techniques to educate our children better, commit ourselves, make plans, and yet—as we know—even the most praiseworthy efforts are not always crowned with success. The child enrolled, with many sacrifices, in the most renowned Catholic school, swimming, music, educated according to traditional religious canons, one day disappoints all expectations, says he is without ideals and thinks only of having fun. Why?

It happens to us something like what happened to seven disciples who, after Easter, went fishing: they were prepared, experienced, willing people, they worked for a whole night, but they didn’t get anything. So much effort was wasted: they acted in the dark, without the light of the word of the Risen Lord.

At times this Word seems to give absurd guidelines, far from any logic, contrary to common sense: building a world of peace without the use of violence, turning the other cheek, loving the enemy, refusing competition, making oneself poor… are suggestions as absurd as that of casting nets in broad daylight. But the choice is between trusting and getting a result and fretting without accomplishing anything.

 

• To internalize the message, we repeat:

“Without you, Lord, without your word, we can do nothing.”

 

First Reading: Acts 5:27b-32.40b-41

When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. —The Word of the Lord.

 

From its earliest years, the Christian community faced opposition from the spiritual leaders of Israel, who condemned Jesus of Nazareth as a blasphemer. After his ignominious death, for Annas and Caiaphas, the case was closed, also because the disciples had not given any proof of courage, they had all rushed to escape.

A short time later, however, these disciples became fearless and organized themselves into a new, dangerous ‘sect’ that dared—as did the Master—to challenge the undisputed religious authority of the leaders of the people. The latter one day decided to arrest the apostles and make them appear before the Sanhedrin. After questioning them, the High Priest recalls the order he had given not to teach in the name of this man anymore and rebukes them: “You want to make the blood of this man fall on us” (vv. 27-28). Notice how Caiaphas avoids even pronouncing the name Jesus; he calls him ‘this man.’

Not at all frightened, Peter, in the name of all, answers: “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (v.29). Jesus was an inconvenient man for the holders of power, both political and religious, and the apostles were equally problematic for the constituted authorities, so they were persecuted.

Christians can only be uncomfortable people. They have bothered and will always bother those who defend unjust situations incompatible with the Gospel. They have disturbed and will always disturb those who want to perpetuate intolerable traditions, harmful to the dignity of man and woman. They will not leave quiet those who codify practices that violate the rights of the person.

The second part of the reading (vv.30-32) contains a brief discourse that summarizes the entire Christian message on the resurrection. Peter makes a dramatic contrast between God’s action and that of the Jewish religious authorities. He says, “God raised up Jesus whom you killed.” The one that people condemned as a dangerous person, as an enemy of the established order, God exalted him as leader and savior.

 

Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.” The four living creatures answered, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. —The Word of the Lord.

 

There are questions to which people cannot answer: why pain, why in this world there are lucky people and others who, through no fault of their own, live unhappily? Why does an incurable disease strike an innocent child? Why wars, earthquakes, catastrophes? Why death? And after death? People’s existence on earth is as if shrouded in darkness; it seems like a mysterious book that no one can decipher.

At the beginning of chapter 5 of Revelation, the author describes a solemn and majestic scene: the Lamb that has been immolated approaches the throne of God, takes the book from his right hand and breaks its seals. The meaning of the vision is the following: the Lamb, that is Jesus, is the only one who can open the book in which is contained the answer to the most troubling questions of the human heart. He alone can give meaning to the events of history, of illuminating so many dramas and so many anxieties.

At this point begins the passage that is taken up in our reading. The angels, all living beings, all the members of God’s people, rejoicing and grateful to the Lamb who, by his death and resurrection, has shed light on the deepest mysteries of human life, join their voices in a song of jubilation. This praise proclaimed by intelligent beings is also joined by inanimate creatures (v.13).

The song of creation indicates that all creatures have been freed from the bondage of sin. When people used them for evil, they were slaves, not serving the purpose for which God had made them. After the sacrifice of the Lamb transformed the heart of man, they finally serve the good. Redemption has also come for them, and for this, they rejoice with joy.

 

Gospel: John 21:1-19

At that time, 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.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” Jesus said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.” —The Gospel of the Lord.

 

If we consider this passage only as the chronicle of an event written by an eyewitness, some difficulties cannot escape. It is surprising, for example, that after so many manifestations of the Risen One, the disciples still do not recognize him. It is already the third time they have met him (v. 14), yet one has a distinct feeling that they have never seen him before. Then, it is not clear why they are amazed at the miraculous fishing; Luke says that they had already witnessed a similar episode on the day Jesus invited them to follow him and become fishers of people (Lk 5:1-11). Then again, how come Peter and the other apostles were in Galilee and had resumed their everyday life as fishermen? After Easter, had they not immediately and wholly dedicated themselves to proclaiming the Gospel?

These difficulties are precious because they make us suspicious about the literary genre of the text: we are not dealing with a page of news, but with a piece of theology, and the language used is biblical, not journalistic. It is therefore difficult to establish what really happened. The evangelist certainly wants to say that the apostles had the experience of the Risen One, but above all, he wants to give catechesis to the Christians of his communities.

Last Sunday, he told us of two manifestations of the Lord: one occurred on Easter Day, in the absence of Thomas, the other, eight days later, with Thomas present. This insistence on the ‘weekly’ rhythm—we were saying—was John’s way of wanting Christians to become aware that, every time they gathered, on the Lord’s Day, to celebrate the Eucharist, the Risen Lord was in their midst.

Unlike last week’s Gospel, today’s Gospel does not place the apparition of Jesus on a Sunday but a weekday, while the disciples are intent on their work. They have therefore resumed their daily lives. What do Christ’s disciples do during the week, what is the mission entrusted to them, and how do they carry it out? The evangelist answers these questions by recounting an episode full of symbolism that we will now try to decode.

Let us begin with the occupants of the boat. There are seven of them. This number indicates perfection, completeness. Peter and the other six represent the totality of the disciples who make up the entire Christian community. The symbolism could go even further to the point of grasping, in the identity of these disciples, an image of the various types of Christians who, despite their limitations and shortcomings, still have a right of citizenship in the Church: those who have difficulty in believing (Thomas), those who are a bit fanatical (the two sons of Zebedee who wanted to invoke the fire of heaven against their opponents; Lk 9:54), those who have denied the Master (Peter), those bound to the traditions of the past, but honest and open to the signs of the times (Nathanael), and even anonymous Christians who are known to no one (the two nameless disciples).

The sea, we have often noted, was, among the Israelites, the symbol of all the forces that are the enemies of man. If to be submerged in water means to remain at the mercy of evil, then fishing means to pull oneself out of this condition of ‘non-life.’ to free oneself from the forces of evil that keep one in situations of death. Let us think of all those slaves that prevent us from living joyfully, from smiling: the lust for money, grudges, unbridled passions, drugs, pornography, anxiety, haste, remorse, fear….

Now it is clear what Jesus meant when he said to his disciples: “Follow me, I will make you fish for people” (Mk 1:17). Here they are at work. Peter has gone back to doing his job; his is a material fishing, but—in the theological language of the evangelist—it indicates the Church’s apostolic mission committed to people’s liberation. In Matthew’s Gospel, the kingdom of heaven is compared to a net thrown into the sea that gathers all kinds of fish, and when it is full, it is dragged ashore (Mt 13:47-48).

A night with its accompanying darkness also has a negative meaning. “If anyone walks in the night, he stumbles” (Jn 11:10), “whoever follows me will not walk in darkness” (Jn 8:12)—Jesus said. During the night, no one can act or orient himself (Jn 9:4). Without light, the disciples’ ‘fishing’ cannot achieve any result.

Not only is the light missing, but Jesus is also missing, indeed—according to the symbolism of the evangelist John—there is no light precisely because there is no Jesus ‘light of the world’ (Jn 8:12). Peter and the others strive to the utmost in the mission entrusted to them, but they conclude nothing. They could understand the reason for their failure if they remembered the Master’s words: “Without me, you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).

They are alone, perhaps even feeling abandoned amid dangers and difficulties. They think they must carry out their mission as ‘fishers of people, ’ relying solely on their abilities and strength. They do not see Jesus; they do not perceive his presence because their lack of faith clouds their eyes. They cannot even recall his reassuring words: “I will not leave you orphans; I will return to you. The world will no longer see me, but you will see me” (Jn 14:18-19). The Lord is not in the boat—it is true—he is on the shore, he has already reached dry land, that is, the definitive condition of the resurrected. Towards this land the disciples also tend and will come.

Finally, here comes the dawn (v.4) and with the new day also the light, the true light “that enlightens every person” (Jn 1:9), the one that comes “to visit us from above, like the rising sun” (Lk 1:78). It is Jesus, but only with the eyes of faith is it possible to see and recognize him because he is the Risen One. His voice is clear and well perceptible; his word comes from the shore and guides the disciples’ activity.

As soon as they trust him, the miracle happens: against all human logic, against all reasonable expectations, they obtain an amazing result. John wants the Christians of his communities to come to understand that Jesus, while standing on the ‘shore,’ that is, in the glory of the Father, is always beside them every day and continues to make his voice resound, calling, speaking, indicating what they must do.

The result of the church’s mission is indicated by the extraordinary amount of fish caught: 153. This number has a symbolic meaning. It results from 50×3+3. For the Israelites, the number fifty indicated all the people; the number 3 represented perfection, fullness. Of the fish, not even one escapes.

The meaning of this curious detail is the following: the Christian community will successfully conclude its mission of salvation. The whole people, the whole of humanity, will be freed from the bonds of death that envelop it, hold it prisoner, lead it to ruin, just as the rushing waters of the sea drag down even the most skilled swimmer. The disciples will succeed in this great undertaking—today’s Gospel assures us—on the condition that they always let themselves be guided by the voice of the Risen Lord.

Peter pulls the net with the fish ashore. Jesus predicted: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to myself” (Jn 12:32). Here he is now fulfilling, through his disciples, the promise. None will escape the work of salvation carried out by his community. The net does not break, despite the great quantity of fish. This apparently banal detail contains a significant message: Peter manages to maintain the unity of believers intact and firm despite their number and the consequent diversity of culture, ideas, and language.

The banquet with which the story of the miraculous catch closes is the symbol of the conclusion of the history of salvation. Jesus waits for the disciples on dry land, in heaven. He has fish with him (v. 9): it is the fruit of his work in this world. Let us recall, for example, the ‘good thief’ he took with him to heaven (Lk 23:43).

Like the seven disciples on the Lake of Galilee, the entire Christian community is asked to present fish, the fruit of apostolic work. On the other hand, the bread is always offered freely by Jesus; people do not bring it. It is the Eucharist; it is the bread that the Risen One breaks and wants all the brothers and sisters to share until the day in which the complete and definitive union will realize the sacramental sign with him and with the Father.

The last part of the passage (vv. 15-19) describes Peter’s mission. Throughout the story, this apostle has occupied a prominent position: it was he who took the initiative to go fishing, then, despite having recognized the Lord after the ‘disciple whom Jesus loved,’ it was he who again took the net full of large fish in his hand and, without breaking it, dragged it to the shore.

The symbolic significance of these details is undeniable: within the Christian community the primacy—let’s say—of ‘sensitivity’ belongs to the nameless disciple, but that of presiding over the apostolic work and the unity of the church undoubtedly belongs to Peter. Although he systematically arrives ‘late’ and often deserves Jesus’ reproaches, he remains the point of reference for the life of the Church. He is asked to shepherd the Lord’s flock.

The image of the shepherd does not arouse only positive resonances. Not everyone likes to be compared to lambs, perhaps incapable of thinking and deciding responsibly. But this is not the meaning of Jesus’ words. He did not give Peter the power to command, to give orders as the shepherd does with the sheep, and even less, the power to constitute a privileged caste detached from the community of the brothers and sisters. Peter—let us remember—was not immune from this temptation. He went so far as to reject the Master’s gesture of washing his feet because one day he hoped to be master of the flock.

By asking him to shepherd the flock, Jesus demands from him a complete conversion, a radical change in his way of thinking and acting. He wants him to manifest a total capacity to love, superior to that of all others. To feed means to nourish the brothers with the food of the Word of life.

It will not be easy for Peter to understand and accept this proposal. For a long time, he will still cling to his convictions, to his dreams. Only with the passing of the years, after many hesitations, will he come to a complete conversion. In today’s Gospel, the conclusion of his journey following the Master is foretold to him. During the Passion, he did not dare to stay with Jesus. One day, however—he is told—he will be placed in the condition of giving his life; he will know coercion, imprisonment (“others will gird you and carry you where you will not go”), and finally, he will die on a cross (“you will stretch out your hands” Jn 21:18).