3rd Sunday of Easter (Year C) - 1 May

3rd Sunday of Easter (Year C) - 1 May

A reflection on today's gospel reading by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J Sheen:

“He said to them: 'Cast to the right of the boat, and you will have a catch.’”

"The Apostles must have remembered another such command when Our Lord told them to let down their nets for a draught … Immediately, in obedience to the Divine command, they were so successful in their catch that they were unable to draw the nets because of the multitude of fishes. In the first miracle of the catch of fishes during the public life the nets broke; Peter, awed by the miracle, asked Our Lord to depart from him because he was a sinful man. The very abundance of God’s mercy made him feel his nothingness. But in this miraculous draught of fishes they were made strong; for immediately John said to Peter: 'It is the Lord.'

"Both Peter and John remained true to their characters; as John was the first to reach the empty tomb on Easter morn, so Peter was the first to enter it; as John was the first to believe that Christ was risen, so Peter was the first to greet the Risen Christ; as John was the first to see the Lord from the boat, so Peter was the first to rush to the Lord, plunging into the sea to be first at His feet. Naked as he was in the boat, he cast a coat about him, forgot personal comfort, abandoned human companionship, and eagerly swam the hundred yards to the Master. John had the greater spiritual discernment, Peter the quicker action. It was John who leaned on the Master’s breast the night of the Last Supper; he was the one, too, who was nearest the Cross, and to his care the Saviour committed His mother; so now he was the first to recognise the Risen Saviour on the shore. Once before, when Our Saviour had walked on the waves towards the ship, Peter could not wait for the Master to come to him, as he asked the Master to bid him come upon the water. Now he swam to shore after girding himself out of reverence for His Saviour.

"The other six remained in the boat. When they came to shore, they saw fire, fish laid thereon, and some bread, which the compassionate Saviour had prepared for them. The Son of God was preparing a meal for His poor fishermen; it must have reminded them of the bread and fishes He had multiplied when He had announced Himself as the Bread of Life. After they had dragged the net ashore and counted the one hundred and fifty-three fish they had caught, they were well convinced that it was the Lord. The Apostles understood that, as He had called them to be fishers of men, so this great catch symbolised the faithful who would ultimately be brought to the bark of Peter." (Life of Christ)

Easter Blessing Prayer for Families

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.