Reading 1 Acts 4:1-12
After the crippled man had been cured,
while Peter and John were still speaking to the people,
the priests, the captain of the temple guard,
and the Sadducees confronted them,
disturbed that they were teaching the people
and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
They laid hands on Peter and John
and put them in custody until the next day,
since it was already evening.
But many of those who heard the word came to believe
and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
On the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes
were assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest,
Caiaphas, John, Alexander,
and all who were of the high-priestly class.
They brought them into their presence and questioned them,
“By what power or by what name have you done this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them,
“Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today
about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”
while Peter and John were still speaking to the people,
the priests, the captain of the temple guard,
and the Sadducees confronted them,
disturbed that they were teaching the people
and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
They laid hands on Peter and John
and put them in custody until the next day,
since it was already evening.
But many of those who heard the word came to believe
and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
On the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes
were assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest,
Caiaphas, John, Alexander,
and all who were of the high-priestly class.
They brought them into their presence and questioned them,
“By what power or by what name have you done this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them,
“Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today
about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a
R. (22) The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Ps 118:24
R. Alleluia, alleluia.This is the day the LORD has made;
let us be glad and rejoice in it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Jn 21:1-14
Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.
REFLECTION
by Eileen Burke-SullivanCreighton University's Division of Mission and Ministry
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| By celebrating the event of Easter intensely for eight days and then steadily for a week of weeks (49 days) the Church wants to enable us to appreciate the infinite wonder that Easter represents in our Faith. It is through the Paschal Mystery – Jesus’ death and Resurrection – that his Incarnation, and therefore his Mission, is made perfect. St. Ignatius of Loyola was convinced that the way to enter this mystery through God’s grace is to practice of form of imaginative prayer that is especially suited to these wonderful stories of post Easter appearance. Today I invite you to consider with me what Peter might have been going through those first days after the Passover when Jesus died. The confusing welter of grief, anger, unimaginable loss . . . and the guilt – oh terrible guilt he must have felt. There were reports by now. Reports by witnesses he trusts, that Jesus has encountered them. Jesus is alive. Peter himself had seen the empty tomb and heard the report of the women that they had seen him. But Jesus hadn’t come to Peter . . . and. . . Maybe he wouldn’t – after all Peter had denied that he even knew him – much less that he was friend. . . Maybe Peter didn’t want him to come . . . what if he did see him . . . but what if he didn’t? But . . . he could not get that look that Jesus turned on him in the Pretorium . . . the slightly crooked smile and the kindness . . . the love that said . . . what? I don’t hate you? I understand? I love you anyway? Silently I huddle in the corner of Peter’s heart and hear his anguished weeping . . . his shouts to the stars late at night. I feel the fear . . . fear that Jesus is alive and he will have to face him . . . and fear that he isn’t but it is all a fantasy of his grief crazed companions. Peter feels stifled in Jerusalem. He can’t stand the gossip . . . the fear that so many seem to be carrying around . . . all he can think about is his own failure. He denied that he even knew Him – his closest friend. Just a few hours before he had protested that he would die for Jesus and then . . . and then, he SWORE he didn’t know him – called God to witness his lies and betrayal. What had possessed him to be such a fool. Lurching to his feet late in the night he announces he’s leaving for Galilee – he is going home . . . to fish. Maybe he can take his mind off this craziness he is trapped in. He smells the night air, feels the breeze coming in off the lake, throws the nets in the lake. . . But then there is nothing . . . he can’t even fish any more . . . it’s as if everything is taken – everything is gone. His wife won’t look at him, his sons and nephew throw contemptuous furtive looks – he can hear their voices in his heart echoing his WHY? WHY did you tell them you didn’t even know him? In frustration he pulls the nets in and swings the tiller toward the shore. Suddenly they hear the voice they were all longing to hear – “throw the nets on the other side.” . . . Are you CRAZY? We fished all the good fishing hours of dark – and caught nothing? What does it mean to put the net on the other side – it’ll get tangled and torn . . . this is mad . . . but he can’t resist the “what if . . .?” So they throw the nets over the side yet again and suddenly their arms are nearly pulled from their sockets with the weight of the load of fish. OH MY GOD . . . it is Jesus! Without thought Peter tightens the clout around his loins and jumps into the water – swims this time – no storm to pile up waves – and no arrogance to think he can walk on it – but with a strong stroke he races to the shore. What will Jesus say? What will He demand? It suddenly doesn’t matter . . . all that matters is that it IS Jesus and He is ALIVE. As Peter drags himself ashore and faces the one he loves but has failed, he is utterly blinded by the LOOK . . . the gaze of Love. Time stops . . . his heart, and mine as well, seem to lurch. That gaze of love, . . . THAT is Easter! |
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