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3rd Sunday of Easter C / Casts net on other side
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Introduction |
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I remember last year I invited a friend of mine to go on fishing. Early in the morning we are so excited to catch fish, bringing a large cooler container, we drove to the nearest shore and hired a boat to bring us a little farther into the sea. For more than 8 hours we put down our hook, and consumed a can of bait. On the way back home, his wife called, the casserole is ready. Tell me when you’re near I will start to boil the water. My friend confused what to answer, he said: “alright you can boil the water now, and get the fish from the frezzer,” we are bringing the vegetables.
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Background |
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- Simon Peter said to them: “I am going fishing.” This might refer to Jesus’ calling of Peter, “Come follow me, I will make you fisher’s of men.(Lk 5:10)” After Easter, Peter knew that the time to “catch men” had come; especially when Christ commanded them: “Go to the whole world and preach the Gospel to all nations. (Mk 16:15)” In today’s Gospel he even invited his brother disciples to start “catching men,” and they replied, “We will also come with you.” Now that Jesus triumphed over death, now is the time to start building the Church.
- The number of fish could mean the number the first converts, they were big in number, “they can not pull it in, because of the number of fish.” This could mean two things: they were able to convert not only good number of people but also those in the higher positions as well (large fish). “Peter . . . drags the net ashore full of one hundred fifty three large fish.” Later on after three hundred years they will be catching not only big fish, but the biggest fish of them all, the Roman Emperor himself “Emperor Constantine.”
- The net was too small for the number of fish but it didn’t break. The early church might be too young and too small but it survived. Surprisingly, it was able to convince great number of people of different social strata. And it was able to answer great philosophical and theological arguments; and survived the greatest pain of persecutions and martyrdom. It might be too small (physically and in quantity) but the grace of God that flowed to it, was beyond measure.
- In the Greek Bible, there are three different words for the word “love.” There is eros, which means sensual or erotic love, the kind of love that lies in senses and the emotions. Then there is philia, meaning love of the likeable, the admiration and devotion we have for a worthy person or thing. Likeable love dwells in the mind that judges the object of love worthy of it. Finally there is agape, which means self-sacrificing and unconditional love, even for a person who may not deserve it and when there is nothing tangible to be gained. Agape love is in the will.
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Reflection: |
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- In the gospel story, Jesus asked Peter, “Agapas me? Do you have agape love for me?” meaning “Do you love me in such a manner as to sacrifice your life for me.” Peter knows that he has not lived up to this standard of love. He knows that he disowned Jesus to save his head. So what does Peter answer? He answers, “Philô se. Yes, Lord, I have philia love for you,” meaning, “Yes, Lord, you know how deeply I like and admire you.” This was a confession of failure because Peter was saying to Jesus, “Yes, I like and admire you, but I have not been able to love you with a self-sacrificing love as you demand.” So Jesus asks him a second time whether he has agape love for him and Peter again replies that he has only philia love for him. Finally, unwilling to embarrass him any further, Jesus then asks him “Do you have philia love for me?” And Peter answers “Yes, I have philia love for you.” End of the interrogation! Jesus accepts Peter the way he is. Even his philia love is good enough. Sometimes it’s hard to stay up there, in the state of perfect holiness, but if we can not really make it, God himself will go down to our level to rise us up.
- Christ is the God of second chance. Peter failed by denying Christ three times, but Christ gave him a second chance to prove himself. His three betrayals were replaced but three affirmations of love. “Yes Lord, You know that I love you.” He also answered with the same warmth of love before, but it was a response coming from a man who was sure of himself. He did not know yet how weak he was. But the second response (3 affirmations) was a response from a person, who knows how weak he was, but still willing to answer “yes.” In our life, do not be afraid to answer God’s call. Even how weak we are, as long as we have a deep desire to follow him, keep on saying yes. God will never run out of grace.
- Perhaps after Christ’s death, they returned to their ordinary work. Peter returned to fishing. It was in this context that Christ appeared to them and helped them to catch a lot of fish. Unlike in the first calling, it was said that “they left everything and followed him, (Lk. 5:11)” now in the second calling Christ did not ask them to leave everything behind but to value the Kingdom more than anything in this world. “Peter, do you love me more than this?” We are not asked to leave our works behind, but put God first in every work that we do..
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Conclusion |
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It was surprising to know that even before Peter brought the fish into the shore, Christ had already made bread ready and fish cooked. In fact he was the one who invited the apostles to eat. The apostles will be the one to “catch men,” but Christ will be the one to feed them with the Eucharist. The center of our Christian life.
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