Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 14, 2023
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.
Reflection
The Church’s liturgical calendar alternates between seasons of ordinary time and major seasons like Advent and Lent. These two seasons prepare us for the central feasts of our faith—Christmas and Easter. Even better news, these are not simply a one-day feasts but a whole season with Easter being the longest—a full 50 days celebrating Jesus’ resurrection.
The readings proclaimed during these 50 days are unique. None are taken from the Old Testament. Instead, the first reading comes from the Acts of the Apostles concerning living out the paschal mystery in the Church, and the gospel readings focus on the resurrected Lord leading up to his glorious Ascension.
Today’s gospel account depicts the last time Jesus appears to his followers. Peter features prominently. We know he has faithfully followed Jesus throughout the gospel, listening to all that Jesus says. But we also know he is someone who has struggled with being erratic, impulsive, doubtful, and uncertain at times.
If you have had an opportunity to see the series, The Chosen, you’ll know they cast a perfect actor to play Peter. In a scene in season one, very much like today’s gospel account, Peter quickly jumps into the water albeit then to retrieve a great catch of fish. Today’s reading harkens back to the call of the first disciples. We can see Peter come full circle by once again, jumping all in.
Peter has grown throughout the gospel, and today, Peter’s faith blossoms. Jesus leaves the young community in Peter’s hands, the first pope.
As believers in our parish communities, we might see these same kinds of ups and downs in our own faith lives. During Easter, we celebrate the resurrected Jesus, who invites all of us to “come and see” to “follow me.” Are we listening?
Prayer
Father in heaven, the gospels remind us that Jesus’ first followers struggled to know the implications of the new life promised them by his rising from the dead. These days, as we strive to live in the joy of the resurrection of Christ your Son, with “Alleluia” on our lips and echoing within our hearts, help us to recognize him everywhere he manifests himself: in the work we do, the company we keep, and the meals we share. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Though he was just a poor shepherd boy, St. Bénézet was responsible for a huge public work—the building of a massive bridge.
Bénézet grew up in southeastern France in the middle ages watching his mother’s sheep. He was thoughtful and pious, and seems to have reflected upon the dangers faced by those who wanted to cross the Rhône river.
One day, during a solar eclipse, Bénézet heard a voice that told him to build a bridge over the river at Avignon, a place where the current flowed strong and rapid.
At the time, the building and care of bridges was considered a magnificent public work, and the wealthy often provided for bridges in their wills. Bénézet was an uneducated, poor boy, but he obeyed the voice he had heard.
He traveled to Avignon and addressed the bishop in that city to tell him of his mission. The bishop did not take him seriously, of course, and legend has it that the boy miraculously carried a huge stone himself to begin the foundation.
Soon Bénézet gathered much attention because of miracles attributed to him: blind people could see, disabled people walked, deaf people could hear again. The bishop and civil authorities granted him power to oversee the construction of the bridge, which began in 1177.
Bénézet supervised construction for seven years before he died—by that time the bulk of the difficult work had been accomplished. A chapel was built into the bridge itself and Bénézet’s body was buried there. It lay there for some 500 years until a flood washed part of the bridge away. His tomb was recovered and it was discovered that his body had not decayed; it was moved to a monastery for veneration. What remains today of the Pont Saint-Bénézet is shown here; it is still a pilgrimage site.
In 1189, the Order of Bridge Brothers was established as a society of wealthy sponsors who provided for the construction and maintenance of bridges, and they adopted St. Bénézet as their patron. He remains the patron saint of those who build bridges, and also of bachelors.
St. Bénézet, you were the poor shepherd boy who followed a call to build a massive bridge—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Bénézet is available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported. Last accessed February 21, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
