Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 4, 2025
At that time, Jesus revealed himself 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.
Today’s gospel highlights an extraordinary moment with a curious detail. Following the direction from the mysterious stranger, the disciples caught 153 large fish, and even though there were so many, the net did not tear. That number—153—stood out to me. It’s not just that the net was full. Every fish was counted. God’s generosity is not random. It is intentional and personal.
Sometimes God’s plans might feel impersonal. However, God’s love is not just abundant but also specific. This gospel invites us to notice the small, unexpected details—the ones that don’t need to be there, but are. A number, a date, a name, a passing phrase. They are easy to overlook, yet sometimes they stop us in our tracks with quiet certainty, helping us to see the personal. These are the winks from God: it is the Lord.
Two weeks ago, I was in Rome for Pope Francis’s final public appearance, standing just feet away as he rode through St. Peter’s Square blessing the crowd. The next day, while mourning his death and celebrating his life, I wandered into a vintage shop in Pisa. I found a 1911 postcard of the Vatican, a small memento of the extraordinary Mass I had witnessed. Only later did I notice a faded note on the back, signed simply, “Frank.” I could have brushed past it, but something in that detail caught me—a quiet whisper, it is the Lord.
Each day, I want to live with eyes open, paying attention, ready to notice these small synchronicities—signs of God’s love and abundance. Ready to listen for, “Come, have breakfast.”
Prayer
Father, Peter’s love for your Son is but an echo of your love for us. Help us, like Peter, to love passionately—to leap out of our small boats and to rush to be with Jesus on the shores of the new life that he promises. Bless us with an abundant catch of souls, especially those furthest removed from your mercy today. Amen.
Saint of the Day
For 150 years during the 16th and 17th centuries, England was at war with Catholicism and the pope. Hundreds of men and women, Catholic and Protestant, were killed during this dispute. Today, the Catholic Church remembers about 300 martyrs who were killed for their faith in England and Wales between 1534 and 1681.
A brief history: Mary I, queen of England and Ireland from 1553-1558, restored Catholicism and papal authority to England. She was known as “Bloody Mary” for having some 300 Protestants burned at the stake for heresy against the Catholic faith.
Mary’s sister and successor, Elizabeth I, reversed this Catholic restoration and denied papal authority in England. In 1570, the pope excommunicated Elizabeth and called Catholics in England to rebel. Fearing invasion by a Catholic nation assisted by English Catholics, Elizabeth repressed Catholicism harshly. To be Catholic was to be a traitor, and it was forbidden by law to attend Catholic Mass.
Catholics in England and Wales were arrested and imprisoned, and many were executed by being hanged, drawn, and quartered. Some 300 Catholic men and women are honored today in separate lists for having died for their faith. They include bishops, priests, religious, and lay men and women.
A list of the Protestant martyrs who were killed during the reinstatement of Catholicism can be found here. Some relics from Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and a complete list of their names can be found here.
Martyrs of the English Reformation, you faced persecution and were killed for your faith—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of The Martyrdom of the Priors of the English Charterhouse of London Nottingham and Axholme is in the public domain. Last accessed March 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
