3rd Sunday in Easter Time
Acts 5:27-32, 40-41. Rev 5:11-14; John 21:1-19
In 1748 during the battle of Nile aboard the French Ship Orient, there took place a great and heroic event of trust. Commander Louse de Casabianca asked his young son Giocante to wait for his order to leave the deck. The boy stood on the deck waiting for his father’s orders. The ship caught fire. Flames rose to the sky. He was surrounded by flames. Finally he called out,
“Say father, say, if yet my task is done”
But the poor little boy did not know that his father was lying dead and cold in the bottom of the ship. He stood on the burning deck with absolute trust in his father.
“Speak, father! Once again he cried.
“If I may yet be gone!”
While over him fast, through sail and shroud
The wreathing fires made way.
Felicia Cortothea Hemans immortalized the trust of Giocante in the poem Casabianca.
As Giocante showed unwavering trust in his father we see Peter expressing his unchallengeable trust in Jesus. Peter and his companions went out fishing but they caught nothing in the night. In the morning Jesus stood on shore and told them, “Throw your net out to the starboard and you will find something.” Without any hesitation Peter did so. John emphasizes that they had a great catch. This is the second time that Peter shows his absolute trust in the words of Jesus.
By the lake of Gennesaret, Jesus once got into the boat of Simon Peter, and asked him to cast the net into the deep sea. Simon Peter replied, Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.(Lk 5:4).
In spite of all these , after the crucifixion of Jesus Peter gave up his hope. His declaration, “I am going fishing” indicates his giving up and returning to the old style of life. But the words, “It’s the Lord” transforms him. The world has never been the same for Peter. The realization of the fact of resurrection of Jesus transformed everything for him. It transformed everything for the apostles. They spread throughout the world and turned the Roman Empire upside down. Empires fell before them and kings did obeisance.
The realization, “It is the Lord” transformed them into men of courage. Today’s first reading enumerates the heroic deeds of the Apostles. The timid men who confined themselves into the rooms behind closed doors come out and proclaims the resurrection of Jesus with unrelenting boldness
The realization, “It is the Lord” transformed them into men of principle. They refused to heed to the warnings of the Sanhedrin and declared that in all circumstances obedience to God should come first. Above all it gave them a clear vision of their function.
As Peter gave up his hope and trust for a moment and declared, “I am going fishing”, we too give up- we give up our communion with the church; we give up our hope in the benevolence of God; we give up our faith in humanity. At these dark moments the declaration of the Apostle, “It is the Lord” that the Lord is with us to enkindle our hope and trust should give us strength and courage to count on Him.
Peter’s trust in Jesus brought him new responsibilities. Jesus wanted Peter to profess his faith in Him before others. It brought him a task. Jesus said, “If you love me feed my sheep.” And it brought him a cross. Jesus said, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch on your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round and take you where you would rather not go.
On the shore of Gennesaret Jesus used Peter’s boat as a platform to convey His teachings to the people. Now Jesus uses Peter himself as an instrument to impart his message to the Jews and Gentiles alike.
Our hope and trust in Jesus entrust us with the responsibility of bearing witness to his life and teachings as did Peter and the Apostles.
Satish