“Jesus said
to them, ‘Bring some of the fish you just caught… Come, have breakfast.’”
–John 21:10, 12
The last
time the apostles ate with Jesus was at The Last Supper, right before all of
them (except John) ran away when Jesus was arrested and then crucified. Now, they come ashore and see Him cooking
breakfast on the beach (see John 21:9). He asks them to contribute some of what
they have to the meal, and He invites them to join Him in it. What’s His
message here?
Jesus wants
to offer the apostles more than food; He wants to feed their souls as well as
their bodies. When He holds out His hand to accept their fish, it’s a gesture
of peace. They abandoned Him that Holy Thursday night, and now He comes into
their presence and cooks breakfast for them. Through this humble act, He reassures
them that He’s not holding a grudge. Also, by asking them to add what they have
to what He already has prepared, He lets them see themselves as His partners. He
invites them to leave behind the pain of the past and move forward: He has
forgiven them. He still considers them His friends. He still loves them. He
still has big plans for them.
Jesus does the
same for you. He offers you His food for your soul: His friendship, His peace,
His forgiveness, His love. Accept the peace He wants to give you. Thank Him for
His blessings. Look for evidence of His love in the people and places all around
you. He wants you to experience His love, and He invites you to share in His work
of showing that love to the world. He’s present to you whenever you come to
Him, no matter where you come from or what you’ve done in the past. Tell Him what’s
been troubling you and let Him put His reassuring words in your head and heart.
He wants you to see yourself as His partner and friend. He loves you; He has
big plans for you.
Jesus will
accept our contributions, our gifts, talents, and all we have to offer to
partner with Him in His work. Let’s imitate His benevolent and peacemaking gestures.
Kind of like a charcoal grill that transforms dead, smelly fish into something nourishing
and delicious, so can Christ’s presence, friendship, love, and peace – made available
to us through His cross and resurrection -- transform our humble acts of
kindness and charity into grace-filled, love-filled actions that can change the
world.
“Lord, thank You for calling
me Your friend. I want to partner with You to bring Your love and peace to the
world.”
Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina
Bedell Comments are always welcome!
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Rita here. Thank you for pointing out our portion of Christ's sacrifice which is difficult to wrap our head around. We are His body and are privileged to participate in re-presenting this sacrifice of the altar. That's why it's called the sacrifice of the mass. He values us this much. Col 1:24
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