“Come and have Breakfast”
Meditation
for Third Sunday of Easter
At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the call of Peter and
his companions came after a miraculous catch of fish. They abandoned everything
and followed (Lk 5:1-11). All was going well until Judas betrayed Jesus and
Peter denied Him three times. The death of Jesus brought so much uncertainties
that even after His resurrection, the apostles did not know how to carry on
with the works of their master. Though Jesus appeared to them a few times as
proof that He is alive and present in their midst, they lacked the courage and
direction needed for the mission. This situation would last till Pentecost. Before
then, Peter and his friends must have been bored, and they tried going back to
their old trade of fishing.
In the gospel of today, Peter and six other apostles went
to the sea of Tiberias for fishing, but they caught nothing all night long. This
was a similar experience at the call of Peter earlier. It appears they tried to
abandon their call to be ‘fishers of men’ and returned to the old life they left
behind to follow Jesus. But it was a wasted effort. Abandoning one’s vocation
even at the moment of crisis is usually a fruitless venture. Imagine their
frustration and weakness after such wasted effort. Then Jesus came to their
rescue!
His presence had an overpowering influence on them; they
could not describe it in words nor differentiate exactly the man standing at
the beach. But with their childlike heart, they responded to him. Then, Jesus
said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find
some.” They obeyed and caught a great quantity of fish. Their attention was drawn
up to Him. They recognized Him, and went up to Him. This was like the second
call of Peter and His companions, a re-directing of their hearts back to their
vocation. Jesus made a charcoal fire and asked them to bring some of the fish.
He said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” He fed them to overcome their
weariness and prepare them for the journey ahead.
At the end of the breakfast, Jesus asked Peter three times,
“Do you love me?” As Peter answered ‘Yes’, He said to Him, “Feed my lambs.”
Thus, the mission belongs to Christ. Peter’s love for the mission is his love
for Jesus. That means he would carry out his mission in the Church as a
response to his love for Jesus and in obedience to Him. That is why, in the
first reading, Peter answered the high priest, “We must obey God rather than men.”
And this is the principle that moves us forward in our different vocations. The
human influences that do not surrender to the love of Jesus will always try to
stop us, and demand our obedience. The survival of the gospel and any Christian
vocation must pass through this battle.
Those who persevere in God’s call in Christ Jesus through
the gospel shall be counted among the great multitude in the second reading. For
all eternity they proclaim the glory of Jesus saying, “Worthy is the Lamb that
was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and
glory and blessing!” As we gather at the invitation and command of Jesus, who
said to the apostles, ‘come and have breakfast’, we offer up our love, weariness,
fears, confusion, backwardness, etc. We renew our love and commitment to our
vocation. And in thanksgiving for the nourishment we have received, we echo the
angelic voices in adoration and worship. Our lives sing to the glory of Jesus.
Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Sunday May 1st, 2022.
