OCTAVE OF EASTER, FRIDAY
Psalter: Proper / (White)
St. Anselm, bishop & doctor (England)
Ps 118:1-2 & 4, 22-24, 25-27a
The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.
1st Reading: Acts 4:1-12
While Peter and John were still speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them. They were greatly disturbed, be cause the apostles were teaching the people, and proclaiming that resurrection from the dead had been proved, in the case of Jesus. Since it was already evening, they arrested them and put them in custody until the following day. But despite this, many of those who heard the Message, believed; and their number increased to about five thousand.
The next day, the Jewish leaders, elders and teachers of the law assembled in Jerusalem. Annas, the High Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the high priestly class were there. They brought Peter and John before them; and began to question them, “How did you do this? Whose name did you use?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke up, “Leaders of the people! Elders! It is a fact, that we are being examined today for a good deed done to a cripple. How was he healed? You, and all the people of Israel, must know, that this man stands before you cured, through the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazorean. You had him crucified. But God raised him from the dead. Jesus is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation in anyone else; for there is no other Name given to humankind, all over the world, by which we may be saved.”
Gospel: Jn 21:1-14
After this, Jesus revealed himself to the disciples by the Lake of Tiberias. He appeared to them in this way: Simon Peter, Thomas who was called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples were together; and Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They replied, “We will come with you.” And they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, “Friends, have you anything to eat?” They answered, “Nothing.” Then he said to them, “Throw the net on the right side of the boat and you will find something.” When they had lowered the net, they were not able to pull it in because of the great number of fish.
Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” At these words, “It’s the Lord!” Simon Peter put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and jumped into the water. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish; they were not far from land, about a hundred meters.
When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed into the boat and pulled the net to shore. It was full of big fish—one hundred and fifty-three but, in spite of this, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” And not one of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” for they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and he did the same with the fish.
This was the third time that Jesus revealed himself to his disciples after rising from the dead.
REFLECTION:
This is a poignant scene. An encounter between Master and disciples. The latter were trying to preserve their unity. Peter who stands as their leader tries to explore another possibility for their group. He wants to go back to their old trade as fishermen. Perhaps there is something for their group there. And the others with him decided to go along. But even that does not give them a positive hope. They have no fish caught no matter how much they tried. Even the art of fishing abandoned them. As seeming hopelessness slowly settles in, and then the stranger came.
The Lord still unrecognized went to them in their moment of need when all seem bleak. Their very skills abandoned them but the Lord did not. When everything else fail us, the Lord will not. That is why the apostles afterward to the last man remained steadfast and true to Jesus until death. He their Lord proved to them many times over, despite their unfaithfulness that He can always be relied on, no matter what.
Daily Reflection
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
Readings and Reflections
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