Friday, April 6, 2018

“The real mystery of life is not a problem to be solved, it is a reality to be experienced”


“Love is an endless mystery, because there is no reasonable cause that could explain it.”― Rabindranath Tagore: ( 1861 – 1941: was a Bengali polymath who reshaped Bengali literature and music, as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.)

Gospel Text: (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.

What does St. John the Evangelist mean when he reports to us that the disciples “dared” not ask Jesus “Who are you?” 

The point here is that in His Risen Body, Jesus looks different to His disciples. He looks different enough to cause some confusion in their minds: at least enough confusion for them to be tempted to “dare” ask Him “Who are you?” For ourselves, regarding both our meditation and our speaking to the Lord in prayer, we should ask: do we expect the Lord to appear to us in some certain way? How might God want to surprise us in making Himself known to us, and in showing us His love?


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