Friday, April 26, 2019
Octave of Easter
1st Reading: Acts 4:1-12
Gospel: John 21:1-14
(…) When day had already broken, Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus called them, “Children, have you anything to eat?” They answered, “Nothing.” Then he said to them, “Throw the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they had lowered the net, they were not able to pull it in because of the great number of fish.
Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” At these words, “It’s the Lord,” Simon Peter put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and jumped into the water. The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish they were not far from land, about a hun dred meters.
When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed into the boat and pulled the net to shore. It was full of big fish—one hundred and fifty-three—but, in spite of this, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” and not one of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” for they knew it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and he did the same with the fish.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
This happened many years ago while attending Mass when I was not yet a priest. When it was my turn to receive communion I heard the priest saying “Come, have breakfast with the Lord”, instead of the usual “The body of Christ”. I didn’t answer “Amen” either. Using the speaking line of Peter when the Lord multiplied his catch at the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-19), I said: “Away with me, Lord, for I am a sinner”. The priest missed the punch line. Visibly irked he muttered: “Why did you line up here in the first place?”
When the disciples had breakfast with the Lord at the shore of Galilee, they had to supply the fish because the Lord had only one or two. But this did not make Jesus an unprepared host. After all, he was the reason for their big catch that day. In the Eucharist, something similar happens. The Lord invites us to a banquet but we bring in the fruits of the work of our hands, at least the bread, water and wine used for consecration.
When the priest asked me why I lined up for communion in the first place, it sounded like he was asking me what I brought in to make the breakfast with the Lord possible. The question carried a deep liturgical implication. We are supposed to contribute something to every Eucharistic meal. The least we can offer are our sufferings. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
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