A third encounter between Jesus and some disciples is the scene of today’s gospel passage (Jn 21:1-14).  Simon Peter says he is going fishing and six other disciples decide to join him.  After a futile night of fishing (see above), Jesus (at this point unrecognized by them) asks them from the shore if they caught anything.  They respond in the negative, thus prompting Jesus to tell them to cast their nets once more.  The nets are filled to breaking when they do so.  Peter then recognizes Jesus and swims to Him.  By the time the rest come with the catch, Peter and Jesus are already cooking by a fire and Jesus serves them all breakfast.  It is striking that these professional fishermen caught not a single fish after a night of work.  Yet the moment Christ arrives on the scene they can barely handle the number of creatures that filled their net.  Recall that at the beginning of His ministry, when calling the very first of His followers, Jesus told them that they would move from catching fish to catching men (Mt 4:18-22 and Mk 1:16-20).  Peter, James, and John must certainly have recalled this when Jesus, now at the end of His time on earth, again performs a miracle for them.  Jesus reinforces that without Him they can do nothing, they can have no success.  But with Him they can change the world in an instant.  How this must have sustained them through the trials, frustrations, and persecutions they were destined to encounter.  How they must have constantly returned to prayer to sustain them and beg the Lord to fill their nets with converts.  A lesson in humility that perdures.  With God all things are possible (Mt 19:26 and Mk 10:27).  Without Him nothing good can come from our own efforts.  We can be the Lord’s instrument to bring many persons to Him.  Let us imitate the disciples who unhesitatingly heed the Lord’s command thus producing a bountiful yield for Him.

Yesterday’s story continues as Jesus miraculously appears out of thin air to the disciples as the Emmaus Road pair are relaying their experience with the Lord (Lk 24:35-48).  They are “startled and terrified” but Jesus tries to reassure them that He is real by word and action (He encourages them to touch Him and He eats in front of them).  Finally, He reminds them of what He said and opens their minds to Scripture passages that prophesy His coming into the world, His suffering, death, and resurrection, and the subsequent evangelization that would be required.  Once the disciples got over their fear, they became “incredulous for joy.”  This is a good example for us.  What are the things that temper our joy in the Lord or prevent that bliss altogether?  Life brings troubles to everyone.  Maintaining happiness in the face of trials, tribulations, sorrows, and loss is not easy.  Yet we note the peace of great saints and holy people we may know who never let earthly concerns disturb them.  The key is an intimate relationship with the Lord.  A strong faith and trust in God, an unwavering hope in eternal beatitude, and love of Him and others as He commands are the virtues we must develop through prayer, the sacraments, and interactions.  Let us build up our relationship with God and neighbor so we too can maintain the joy of knowing that our Savior lives while letting others know about this Good News as well.

The first description of an appearance of Jesus after His resurrection as recorded by Luke takes place on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35).  Two of Jesus’ disciples are leaving Jerusalem to go to Emmaus when Jesus (unbeknownst to them) comes and walks with them.  They lament Jesus’ death because they thought He would redeem them.  But they mention they received news about the empty tomb.  Jesus admonishes them and reveals to them the scriptures that prophesied the coming of the Christ.  When they arrive at home the disciples urge their new traveling companion to join them.  There Jesus blesses, breaks, and distributes the bread.  Then the disciples recognize Him just before He disappears.  They hasten back to tell the apostles of this encounter but the Eleven are not surprised as Peter himself has already had an encounter with Jesus.  The words at top are the two disciples’ response to Jesus’ query about what they were discussing when He joined up with them.  We can imagine the disciples’ surprise at their new acquaintance’s apparent lack of knowledge of what must have been the biggest event in Jerusalem in years.  Sadly, nearly two thousand years later, we are likely not incredulous in the widespread lack of knowledge of the life and mission of Jesus or of the content of the Bible in general.  Thus the importance of catechesis and evangelization, first and foremost starting with ourselves (one can’t give what one doesn’t have), and then with other Catholics and all Christians.  How can others embrace what they do not know?  Every baptized Christian has received the calling to spread the word about the Word.  Catholics are strengthened in this task in a special way through Confirmation and of course the regular reception of Communion and Confession.  Jesus made Himself known in today’s reading through the breaking of bread.  This is how we get to know Him more intimately as well — in Word and Sacrament at Holy Mass.  Let us be true to our calling to bring the Good News to everyone and to invite them to Mass so that they too will experience their “hearts burning” through a life changing encounter with Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today we move back to John (20:11-18), picking up where we left off on Easter, to continue to read John’s rendition of events following the Resurrection.  This scene finds Mary Magdalene back at the tomb weeping.  She then encounters two angels inside the tomb and, turning around, sees Jesus but does not recognize Him until He calls her name.  He then orders her to go to the disciples with a message, which she does.  Mary’s first word to Jesus, after she recognizes Him, is at top.  “Rabbouni” means “Teacher.”  If this is the name that comes to mind when she sees her beloved unexpectedly (to her) risen from the dead, then it was clearly her common name for Jesus.  This was not unusual in that friend and foe alike call Jesus Rabbi/Teacher throughout the gospels.  But with Mary one can’t help but think of how much she must have learned from Jesus.  Aside from scenes at the cross and after the resurrection, Mary is mentioned only once, and there as a follower of Jesus along with the twelve apostles (Lk 8:2).   How much she must have absorbed and how devastated she must have been when she thought Jesus’ lips were sealed forever.  And how much she must have longed for an explanation of this astounding encounter she just had.  We know Jesus is not silent and never will be.  The Word has been uttered and continues to speak to our hearts authentically through Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterium.  Like Mary Magdalene. may we never lose our love for learning and pondering the sublime truths of revelation, continually diving back into the ocean of love that is Jesus Himself, the Word that always existed and which became flesh for our salvation (cf. Jn 1:1-14).  Let us listen well to our Rabbouni!

This day after Easter, the gospel reading continues the Resurrection story (Mt 28:8-15).  Mary Magdalene and another Mary, finding the tomb empty, run to tell the disciples of this (see above).  Along the way they encounter Jesus and fall down to worship Him.  He tells them to tell His disciples (His “brothers”) that He will meet them in Galilee.  Meanwhile the soldiers who were to guard the tomb told the chief priests of the unusual events at the tomb and that Jesus was gone.  Assembling the entire council, the religious leaders gave the soldiers a large sum to lie and say that Jesus’ disciples stole Jesus’ body.  We are told that this tale was continued to be spread even at the time of the writing of this gospel.  When we have good news we hasten to tell others of it.  We can barely contain ourselves in our wish to share it.  The cause of our joy might be a negative test result, an “impossible” prayer answered, some unexpected bounty, or a long wait that has finally and favorably ended.  But any word that we get in this life, no matter how wonderful, cannot exceed the Good News of Jesus — He who has the words of everlasting life (Jn 6:68).  Our days here must necessarily end, but we must desire in an overwhelming way the complete union with God in the eternal now.  And we want every other person to join us there in that place where God “will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain” (Rev 21:4).  Should we not too run to excitedly tell others that He is risen, truly risen (see 1 Cor 15;12-19)?  This is the best news ever.