Gospel: (John 21:1-19)
At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. The disciples had gone fishing 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. He called out to them, “Have you caught anything to eat?” They answered “No.” So he said, “Cast your 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.”
Reflection:
Resurrected life has its demand—but the incredible thing about our God is that God provides us with all we need, beginning with offering us new life. Accepting the abundance that God offers means that by following Jesus we become Jesus’ resurrected presence with the grace to lead others to him. Every day we must take care that our actions announce God’s blessings at the same time that they speak of God’s goodness and care. Leading others to Jesus doesn’t mean doing big things; it means doing the little things well and so reflecting the life of Jesus in us. (Living Liturgy, p.116)
Vincentian Meditation:
It is a remarkable fact that in all the appearances of Our Lord after His resurrection, His disciples and friends had a certain difficulty in recognizing Him. Yet that difficulty did not conflict with the assurance which eventually dawned upon all of them, that Jesus Christ had indeed risen from the dead. That should be a source of encouragement to us. We also do not see Him with our physical eyes, and with the first disciples we share the difficulty of seeing Him clearly in the ordinary events of our lives. St. Pius X once wrote: “In all circumstances of your life say: ‘It is the Lord.’” This is very Vincentian, as St. Vincent was deeply devoted to the Providence of God, and he recommended that we accept all things by saying: “when something unexpected happens to us in body or mind, good or bad, we are to accept it without fuss as from God’s hand.” If we could live that ideal of St. Vincent, we would have great peace in our lives. “In all circumstances, say: ‘It is the Lord.’” (McCullen, Deep Down Things, p. 278)
Discussion: (Share your thoughts after a moment of silence)
When in your life or ministry have you found the grace to say: “It is the Lord?”
Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you rose from the dead that we might live,
-fill us with faith and trust!
Help us to do the little things well and so reflect your life,
-fill us with your compassion!
And, in all circumstances of our life give us the grace to say,
-“It is the Lord.” Amen