Fr. Manuel João, comboni missionary
Sunday Reflection
from the womb of my whale, ALS
Our cross is the pulpit of the Word
The Day of Consolation
Year C – Easter – 3rd Sunday
John 21:1–19: “It is the Lord!”
Last Sunday, Saint John recounted to us the two appearances of Jesus to the disciples in Jerusalem, which took place on a Sunday, while they were locked in the Upper Room. Today, he presents his manifestation in a completely different context: we are no longer in the Holy City, but in the “Galilee of the Gentiles”, a land of uncertain faith; not on a Sunday, but on a weekday, in a secular setting. The Risen One is not encountered only in the sacred space of the Church on Sundays, but also in daily life, at work, in the ordinary moments.
A Day of Work
Everything begins with Simon Peter’s initiative—he decides to go fishing. His companions say, “We’ll come with you.” We may ask: what does Peter’s gesture mean? Is it out of boredom, a sense of not knowing what to do? Or is it confusion now that they find themselves alone, without the Master? Or is it a return to the past, to their former lives, after three years spent following Jesus? We, too, may find ourselves in a similar situation. After a passionate experience that ends abruptly, leaving us disillusioned and confused, the temptation is to forget everything and “go back to our previous lives”.
However, the narrative suggests something different. The evangelist introduces symbolic elements. This is not just any fishing trip, but a representation of the mission they had been entrusted with: to be “fishers of men”. The boat of Peter is mentioned (a symbol of the Church); the seven disciples (symbolising the fullness of the Christian community, in contrast to the twelve who represent Israel); the sea (symbol of the forces hostile to life); and Tiberias, a city built by Herod Antipas in honour of Emperor Tiberius—a semi-pagan city, considered impure because it was built on a cemetery (F. Armellini).
In short, a mission very similar to our own today. In that boat, represented by the seven disciples, we too are present, alongside all who struggle to free the world from the powers of evil.
A Night of Frustration
“But that night they caught nothing.” Why? Lack of skill? Or perhaps a confirmation that without Him, we can do nothing? We’ve all experienced moments like these: frustration, a sense of futility, the feeling that time and energy have been wasted… Human and Christian maturity also passes through such times of trial. Our condition is to work in the “night”, without guaranteed outcomes.
A Dawn of Hope
Yet after every night, dawn always breaks, bringing light and hope into our lives. That light and hope come from the “Stranger” standing on the shore:
“As morning was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realise it was Jesus.”
Perhaps he had been there all night, but their eyes were unable to recognise him.
“Jesus said to them: ‘Children, have you anything to eat?’ They answered him, ‘No’. He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish”—153 large fish, an enigmatic number symbolising abundance and possibly the whole of humanity to be saved.
Jesus addresses them with the affectionate term “children”. He calls us this way even today, especially in moments of sadness, frustration, and discouragement. And he tells us where to cast the net: on the right side—the right way, the good side present in every person.
“Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter: ‘It is the Lord!’”
Peter and John are the protagonists this Sunday, just as Thomas was last Sunday. They are not rivals, but complementary: they represent institution and charism, readiness and reflection, action and contemplation. These are the two essential components of our Christian life.
A Morning of Consolation
“When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it, and bread… Jesus said to them: ‘Come and have breakfast.’”
The encounter with the Risen One concludes around the Easter fire, in a moment of shared meal. The invitation to eat is an allusion to the Eucharist. Bread and fish are recurring Christological symbols in the early Christian community.
But there was something in the spring morning air that stifled their joy. The flames of that fire brought back to Peter’s mind the shadows of that night when, around another fire, he had denied the Master three times. Nor did the other disciples dare look Jesus in the eye. No one had a clear conscience. At any moment, they expected a rebuke from Jesus for their unfaithfulness. But nothing of the sort happened. Jesus, with utmost gentleness and tender love, dispelled the dark cloud hovering over Simon Peter.
“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter: ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me (Greek: agapan) more than these?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you (Greek: philein).’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’”
Jesus asks using agapan, indicating total, unconditional love (agape), while Peter replies with philein, expressing affection and friendship (philia). The third time, Jesus lowers himself to Peter’s level and uses philein:
“‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved that Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’”
To Peter, who had proven unreliable, Jesus entrusts his flock. He makes him Shepherd—a messianic title Jesus had previously reserved for himself.
“And after saying this, he added: ‘Follow me.’” Follow me, to be the Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.
A Beautiful Model of Consolation
I end with this beautiful reflection from Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini:
“Jesus’s way of acting is a wonderful model of consolation, which, overlooking all faults, sees the best in the person.”
The Risen Lord does not rebuke anyone. It is true he reproached the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and the eleven for their unbelief, but he never mentioned their betrayal or unfaithfulness (Luke 24:25; Mark 16:14).
“This is truly royal consolation: not taking advantage of others’ humiliation to mock, crush, or cast them aside, but to rehabilitate, to encourage, to restore responsibility. To console in this way, I believe one must be like Jesus, that is, possess within oneself a great joy, a great treasure, so that it becomes easy to share. The Lord, who has the treasure of divine life, lets consolation fall like balm, drop by drop. And we, in communion with Him, can also let consolation fall, drop by drop, without reproach or presumption.”
And it is precisely because of this consolation that the apostles, after having been flogged, “left the Sanhedrin rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer dishonour for the name of Jesus” (First Reading).
Fr. Manuel João Pereira Correia, mccj
