DO YOU LOVE ME?

III SUNDAY OF EASTER - John 21:1-19

This Sunday’s gospel presents the situation of the Church after the resurrection. The apostles are back in Galilee, probably obeying Jesus’ orders (Mt 28:10). Seven of them are gathered together, representing the whole community of disciples, the Church. They seem a bit lost, without a purpose. As always, Peter takes the initiative and decides to go fishing. The others followed him. And they spent the night in the boat, “but caught nothing that night”. They worked in vain. Effort and initiative are not enough. They had been called to be fishers of men, and then ordered by the Lord to go and proclaim the Good News. However, their effort at fishing men was not more successful than their work at casting the nets. Peter took the leading role, but he was not ready yet to proclaim the Gospel, guided and strengthened by the Spirit. They lacked the presence of the Risen Christ and the awareness that all evangelisation must be done in his name and depends on his grace.

Early in the morning, Jesus came and, standing on the shore of the lake, addressed them: “Have you caught anything, friends?” Jesus calls them friends, as he had done in the Last Supper: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (Jm 15:15). They had caught nothing and they would go home empty handed. Then, Jesus intervenes, giving advice that sounds like an order: “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” The right side brings to mind the right hand of God, referring to his power, honour, compassion and love. The ones chosen for salvation will be on His right. Following Jesus’ advice, they caught plenty of fish. The beloved disciple  immediately recognised Jesus and told Peter: “It is the Lord.” Following his impulse, Peter put on his cloak, because he was half-naked, and jumped into the water, swimming towards Jesus. Like Peter, we are half-naked, full of ourselves, unable to recognise the Lord and follow Him. Paul would write that the true disciple must “put on the armour of light”, that is, “put on the  Lord Jesus Christ” (Ro 13:12,14).

In the boat, they brought ashore one hundred and fifty-three (153) big fish. This special number redirects our minds to Ezekiel 47:10. From under the altar, it comes a spring of living water that will become a mighty river with plenty of fish to be caught by fishermen with nets: “Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.” The numeral value of Engedi is 17, and the value of Eneglaim is 153, being 153 the triangular number of 17, The Risen Christ is the altar and the temple, and from its right side, the living water comes.

While waiting for the disciples, Jesus prepared them a meal with bread and fish, and asked the disciples to bring more fish. It is the Lord who satisfies our hunger and quenches our thirst. He is the one who prepares the table and sets the food on it, giving us the food of heaven. In the Eucharist, we meet the Lord and are drawn into Him. Only by eating the bread of life are we able to answer truthfully Jesus' personal question: Do you love me?