Fourth Sunday of Easter – Year C

From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John

At that time Jesus manifested himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and this is how. Simon Peter was there with Thomas, called Didymus, that is, Twin, and Nathanael, of Cana of Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them :  « We are going with you too,’ they replied. So they left and got into the boat, but that night they took nothing. At daybreak, Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was him. Jesus said to them : « Children, do you have anything to eat ? » They replied : « No » He said to them ; « Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will fin it. » So they cast the net, and this time they couldn’t pull it in because there were so many fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter : « It’s the Lord ! » When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on a piece of clothing, for he had nothing on, and threw himself into the water. The other disciples arrived in a boat, dragging the net full of fish ; the land was only a hundred metres away. When they got ashore, they saw an ember fire with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them : « Bring some of the fish you have just caught. » Simon Peter went up and pulled down the net full of big fish : there were a hundred and fifty-three of them.

 And even though there were so many, the net was not torn. So Jesus said to them : « Come and eat. » None of the disciples dared ask him : « Who are you? » They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came closer ; he took the bread and gave it to them ; and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus, risen from the dead, had shown himself to his disciples. Jesus said to him, « Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these ? He answered : « Yes, Lord ! You know that I love you. » Jesus said to him : « Be the shepherd of my lambs. » A second time he said to him : « Simon, son of John, do you really love me? » He answered : « Yes, Lord! » Jesus said to him : « John, do you love me? « 

 Peter was saddened because Jesus asked him the third time : « Do you love me? » He answered : « Lord, you know everything: you know that I love you. »  Jesus said to him : « Be the shepherd of my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you: when you were young, you girde yourself to go where you wPanted; when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you to take you where you don’t want to go. » Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death Peter would give glory to God with. Then he said to him, ‘Follow me’. (Jn 21, 1-19)

The miraculous catch of fish

After the resurrection and the first appearances of Jesus to his disciples, Jesus manifested himself again on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias (Jn 6, 1). All his disciples went there at Jesus’ command,relying on his promise to appear to them there (Mt 26,31-32 ; Mt 28,:7-10)  John’s account is in harmony with Matthew’s (Mt 28, 7 ; Mt 16-20) and Paul’s (1 Co 15, 6). After the resurrection and the first appearances of Jesus to his disciples (Jn 5, 1 ; Jn 6, 1 ; Jn 7, 1). Jesus appeared again by the Sea of Tiberias.   John alone gave this name to the lake that Matthew called the Sea of Galilee (Mt 4, 18), where all the disciples returned, following Jesus’ command and relying on his promise to appear to them there (Mt 26, 31-32 ; Mt 28, 7-10).

 John’s account is in harmony with that of Matthew and that of Paul (1 Co 15, 6), who made known Jesus’ appearances in Galilee. Of the seven disciples present at the scene that follows, five are named and well known : Simon Peter (Jn 1, 43) ; (Jn 11, 16), Nathanael (Jn 1, 46), the sons of Zebedee, James and John. (Mt 4, 21) Two other disciples were not named because they were not among the apostles always named first. M. Godet rightly says that this fact is significant and that the most plausible explanation that can be given is that John, the author of this account, attributed the last place to himself out of modesty. The disciples, back in Galilee, had momentarily resumed their former occupation. Peter, as always, took the initiative. No doubt because of the change that had taken place in him since his resurrection (Jn 20, 14).

Jesus said to them ; « Children, have you nothing to eat  » ? The miraculous nature of this catch consisted in the divine knowledge by which Jesus knew that on the right side of the boat there was a great quantity of fish. At this sight, the disciples must have remembered the words of Jesus, calling them to the apostolate : ‘Follow me and I will make you sinners of men’ (Mt 4:19) and the similar event they had witnessed (Lk 5,4). It was also a magnificent picture of the immense blessings that Jesus was to bestow on their future ministry. The symbolic meaning of this abundant catch could not escape the disciples’ minds. Jesus said to them : ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught’. The disciples were astonished to find there a prepared meal, fish and bread. Many interpreters saw this simple fact as a miracle.

Some said that Jesus had created the fire and the food ; others, that they had been prepared by angels. Then to the miracle was added allegory : for some, the food prepared was an picture of the Lord’s Supper ; for others, a symbol of the graces with which the Lord restores and strengthens his own who work in his kingdom; for still others, an emblem of the heavenly banquet promised to the blessed. What Jesus wanted, in order to manifest himself to his disciples, was to convince them completely of his resurrection; and to do this, he entered into a personal relationship with them, the most direct of which was to have a meal with them, precisely as he had done twice before (Lk 24, 30-42).

 Jesus said to him : « If I want him to stay until I come, what do you care ? » Jesus continued his conversation with his disciple ; and with this solemn declaration, which belongs exclusively to the fourth Gospel: Truly, truly, he announced to him what would happen to him in this vocation in which he had just been reinstated. It was through great trials that Peter showed Jesus the love he had declared to him three times. This prediction takes the form of a living picture : To be able to gird oneself, to tie around the loins, for walking or work, the long oriental costume; to go where one wishes, it is the mark of independence, of the activity of strength.

Such was Peter at the time: when you were younger than Jesus, from the point of view of the future he announced to him. Peter made abundant use of this freedom, according to the nature of his ardent and quick character. When Jesus spoke to him in this way, he was no longer a young man, since he was married (Mt 8:14). His old age made him dependent on someone else and forced him to give up his will and his own activity. For a man of Peter’s character, such an abdication must already have been a painful sacrifice.

But this was even worse: he was reduced to stretching out his hands and passively surrendering himself to this other who would gird him, bind him and force him to death. Then he proved to himself and to others that he loved Jesus, to whom he sacrificed his life. This was the meaning of this prediction. The interpreters were divided over the meaning of these words : you shall stretch out your hands. Some, from the Fathers to de Wette, Tholuck, Hengstenberg and Ewald, took this expression literally to mean that Peter would suffer the torment of the cross.

This fact was reported by Tertullian, Origen, Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History III, 1), that Peter was crucified. Other exegetes : Meyer, Weiss, Luthardt and Godet think that the words ‘you shall stretch out your hands’ cannot refer to the attitude of the man who allows himself to be nailed to the cross, an image by which Jesus represents the passivity that offers no resistance. It was through this death that Peter glorified God. Dying in the service of God and for divine truth was the most eminent way of contributing to his glory in this world (Ph 1, 20 : 1P P 4, 16). So, among the Christians of the first centuries, glorifying God became synonymous with suffering martyrdom.

Follow me on this path which you have embarked upon, the outcome of which I have just foretold to you and which, for you as for me, will end in death (Jn 21, 22 ; Jn 13, 36 ; Mt 10, 38 ; Mt 9, 9). This solemn command, which concerns all Christians, has been given a new meaning. Modern interpreters have adopted this explanation. « However, it does not follow from this that the meaning of the command : follow me, is purely external. It is clear that by taking this first step, Peter is embarking on the path of obedience to Jesus that will lead him to the tragic end of his apostolate » (Godet).

It through this death that Peter glorified God. To die in the service of God and for divine truth is the most eminent way of contributing to his glory in this world (Ph 1, 20 ; 1 P 4, 16). Among the Christians of the first centuries, glorifying God became synonymous with suffering martyrdom. « Follow me on this path you have embarked upon, the outcome of which I have just foretold to you and which, for you as for me, will end in death » (Jn 21, 22 ; Jn 13, 36 ; Mt 10, 38 ; Mt 9, 9). In this way, Jesus would have meant : ‘Follow me to where I am going to take you so that I can talk to you alone’.

Modern interpreters have adopted this explanation: However, it does not follow from this that the meaning of the command : follow me, is purely external. It is clear that by taking this first step, Peter is embarking on the path of obedience to Jesus that will lead him to the tragic end of his apostolate. In this way, the

higher sense is naturally linked to the lower, just as John was (Jn 1, 44). As for the elements of this meal, it was difficult to get fish and bread on the shores of a lake where there were always fishermen? The food prepared was not enough fo

Links to Christian sites

Catholic for life : click here to read the paper HOMILY OF THE 4TH SUNDAY IN EASTER — YEAR C

Deacon Michel Houyoux

Father Valan.org  : click here to read the paper Homilies – Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year C) –

Video Fr. Dr. Biju Abraham M : click here https://youtu.be/qacapOdNU5M