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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.
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It’s incredibly hard for human beings to let go.
On Saturday, April 26th, the world watched and prayed as a funeral Mass was celebrated for Pope Francis in Saint Peter’s Square with an estimated 250,000 people in attendance.
Just two days later, we celebrated a Memorial Mass here at St. Pius for Francis, providing yet another – and more personal – opportunity for our community to gather, to pray, and to mourn.
It was like a second goodbye.
It’s hard to let go.
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We find that same dynamic unfolding today in John’s Gospel. It’s hard for him to “let go,” to finish his story. After all, how can you condense the story of the Son of God’s birth, life, death, and resurrection into a few chapters?
Last week, we read from the end of chapter 20, when the Lord appeared to Doubting Thomas. Having his demand met, Thomas was invited to slide his finger into the hands and side of the Risen Christ, provoking the greatest statement of faith in the Gospels:
“My Lord and my God!”
Then John concluded that chapter – and, in a sense, his Gospel – with the words: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe…and have life in his name.”
Period. End of story.
Yet, John adds another chapter, a second ending, in today’s Gospel.
There’s one more thing Jesus must do before returning to his Father: be reconciled with Peter.
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After a fruitless night of fishing, as the sun begins to rise over the shores of Galilee, Jesus calls to his disciples from the shoreline, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
Not realizing it’s him, they respond, “No.”
So, Jesus tells them to cast their nets over the other side of the boat. Suddenly, their nets are tearing at the seams!
It’s déjà vu, a repeat of what happened three years earlier when Jesus first stepped into Peter’s boat after a fruitless night of fishing and told him to cast his nets into the deep.
This was the Lord’s way of reminding his disciples of their call to be, “fishers of men.”
Recognizing who it is, John exclaims, “It is the Lord!”
Suddenly, Peter throws himself into the sea and swims hastily ashore.
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As the sand squishes underneath his feet, Peter’s heart races as smoke billows from the charcoal fire into his hair and eyes. Catching his breath, he plops himself onto the sandy shore and looks humbly at the Lord.
Peter knows exactly what this is about.
The only other time a charcoal fire appears in the Gospels was the night of Christ’s betrayal. Standing in the courtyard of the high priest, Peter watched at a distance and warmed his hands as Christ was arrested, mocked, and led off to be crucified.
When questioned, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times.
But the Lord is not interested in reliving that painful night in dreadful detail. He is interested in two things only.
First and foremost, “Peter, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” a sandy Peter says emphatically, “you know that I love you.”
Then the divine decree is issued, “Feed my sheep.”
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Notice the imagery shifts decisively from fish to sheep.
When the Lord first appears on the shores of Galilee, he invites all of his disciples to reel in a net full of fish, reminding them of their collective call to become, “fishers of men.”
But when Jesus addresses Peter independently, he changes to shepherding imagery. “Tend my sheep…Feed my sheep.”
The call Peter received earlier in Christ’s public ministry now becomes clear:
“You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Christ wills for Peter to be our shepherd.
This unique, divine call has been retained and handed down within the Catholic Church for nearly two-thousand years.
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This is why the Church is so attached to the chair of Peter, which has been left empty by the death of Francis. The keys to the kingdom lie in wait, as it were, until his successor is appointed.
Though it’s difficult for us to let go, we trust that God’s Spirit will work through this next conclave to appoint the right shepherd who will tend and feed us, God’s beloved flock on earth.
Saint Peter, pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) (2) Christ handing the keys to Saint Peter, Perugino (3) CNN