Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 5, 2019
At that time, 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.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“”Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?””
Simon Peter answered him, “”Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.””
Jesus said to him, “”Feed my lambs.””
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“”Simon, son of John, do you love me?””
Simon Peter answered him, “”Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.””
Jesus said to him, “”Tend my sheep.””
Jesus said to him the third time,
“”Simon, son of John, do you love me?””
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time,
“”Do you love me?”” and he said to him,
“”Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.””
Jesus said to him, “”Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.””
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “”Follow me.””
The phone rang, propelling my friend’s voice across the states and into my bedroom. A lot had been happening in his life. Post-grad worries, relationship drama, and the loss of a loved one had overwhelmed him, simply by the sheer amount of suffering.
I took it all in painfully over the phone. My friend was in distress and I couldn’t look him in the eye, couldn’t comfort him in person. I felt I needed to say the perfectly right words, since I only had words to give. But nothing came to mind.
I couldn’t speak perfectly, no more than I could teleport through that phone and give him a hug.
Still, I spoke.
I let honesty, truth, and love be my guides.
When I gave my voice over to the Spirit, I found words pouring from my mouth and across the call that possessed wisdom beyond my own merits. Nothing I said felt particularly profound to me, and yet my friend started to cry. I cried too.
Amidst all that suffering, our hearts had met, and God was made present there. We then started to laugh.
Life is wearying precisely because we can’t handle it ourselves. Sickness, natural disaster, the senselessness of violence and death—we encounter all these horrors, in the news and in our lives. How ought we respond?
In today’s Gospel, Christ gives Peter what seems an impossible command: to guide Christ’s flock through the trials of this world. We—Christ’s sheep—are not of this world. We’re called to a far better reality, to Paradise. And the burden to get there isn’t placed on the servant alone. The Master guides us where we cannot guide ourselves, if only we pick up when he calls.
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
Judith, also known as Jutta, began her life as a wife and mother, and deepened her pursuit of holiness as a wandering hermit after her husband died and her children had grown.
Born to a German aristocratic family in the 13th century, she was married to a noble. She was inspired by St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a contemporary, and heard the Lord call her to follow him. She not only sought to serve God herself, but also led her household to do the same and was known for her support of the poor, in imitation of Elizabeth.
Early in their marriage, her husband thought Judith dressed too simply, and asked her to take on styles more in keeping with the fashions of the upper class. She gradually helped him see the virtue in detachment from material wealth, and he grew in his own faithfulness. He died while on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, leaving Judith to raise their family alone.
Many of her children entered monasteries as they matured, and after all had left the household, Judith gave her life to prayer and caring for the poor and sick. She gave everything she had to the poor except for one ragged dress, and went into the streets to beg for food for herself and for others.
Many people who had known her mocked and ridiculed her, but others treated her with reverence because they knew what she had given up. She wanted to separate herself from their praise, so she left and wandered the countryside, walking barefoot and helping those she encountered on her way.
She made her way into Prussia in 1260 and took up living as a hermit in a ruined building on the shore of a lake. People sought her out for her wisdom, and she was known for having instinctive insight into Scripture. She once said that three things can bring union with God: illness, exile from home, and voluntary poverty.
People who lived nearby reported seeing Judith raised from the ground in prayer, and she received a number of visions. She died of a fever after living in that place for four years, and miracles were reported to have occurred at her grave.
Judith is patron saint of Catholics in Prussia and Germany. The image seen above was reconstructed from her skull using forensic technology.
St. Judith, you were a faithful wife and mother who gave your life to the poor and sick—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Judith is available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Last accessed March 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
