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Third Sunday of Easter, April 18, 2010

(Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19)

Certain questions about this gospel jump out at us. None is


easily answered. This entire Chapter 21 of John seems disconnected
from the rest of the Gospel. Some commentators even think that it
functions like an epilogue to the entire work. Scholars disagree
whether the chapter was actually part of the original Gospel. But
these questions are better left to be answered by others.
Noteworthy is Simon Peter’s decision to go fishing in the Sea of
Tiberias (Galilee). This is supposed to be AFTER Jesus had appeared
to the disciples gathered together behind locked doors in Jerusalem!
That happened in Jn.20 as we heard in last week’s Gospel when Jesus
commissioned them to forgive sins, followed by the story of Thomas. It
is curious that they returned to Galilee and their fishing after having
seen the risen Jesus while in Jerusalem. Some think that this is exactly
what the disciples did for a time after the death and resurrection of
Christ and that only later did they begin a missionary work that spread
throughout the Roman Empire. It is certainly possible.
It is anybody’s guess as to why this particular group of fishermen
was named: Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, Zebedee’s sons (James
and John) and two others unnamed. That there were seven designated
fishermen probably had some significance. John liked to use numbers,
usually with some perceived intent. Here we know not what he meant.
Many reasons for why they did not recognize him when they
neared the shore the next morning have been suggested. None satisfies.
Some thought it might have been early morning mist or fog. Others
suggested they were still too far away. John simply does not say.
He calls them “children” (paidia in Greek) when he asks if they
have caught anything to eat. We would probably say “guys” as in
“Hey, you guys”. The question is a faint echo of Jn. 6 when Jesus had
asked the disciples where they would get enough food to feed the
multitudes. As it happens the five loaves of bread and two fish fed the
five thousand.
The beloved disciple recognizes Jesus after they catch the fish,
causing Peter to dive into the water. It’s not clear why. Some have
suggested some kind of baptismal symbolism, certainly a preachable
theme, even if it is reading a lot into this text.
Whether we’re supposed to notice that Peter by hauling in the
huge catch does what all the others could not do is unclear, but we
notice it anyway. It is another curious detail, and never clearly
explained. The precise number of fish mentioned (153), large ones at
that, is a “great mystery” as St. Augustine is said to have remarked
about it. Fr. Raymond Brown in his Anchor Bible Commentary on this
passage has almost three pages of material in fine print devoted to the
significance of this number (p.1074-1076). Sadly one is no closer to an
answer after reading that material than before. It might even be meant
to bolster the argument that John was an eyewitness to these events as
he had claimed in the conclusion of last week’s Gospel. We’ll leave it
as a “great mystery”.
The breakfast certainly suggests a Eucharistic setting related to
the feeding of the multitude event already mentioned. And finally,
Peter is given three opportunities to undo the three denials he had made
of knowing Jesus during the Passion. Even as Peter had vehemently
denied knowing Jesus, he now vehemently protests that he loves him.
Peter just keeps at it until he gets it right, an ideal model for any
disciple of Jesus!

Fr. Lawrence L. Hummer

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