AUDIO MEDITATION:

James Tissot (French, 1836-1902), St. Peter Alerted by St. John to the Presence of the Lord Casts Himself into the Water. Public domain.

FULL TEXT:

The disciples, confused at what is happening, return to what they know best: fishing. When they are returning to shore, one of them recognizes the Lord waiting for them. When Simon Peter hears that it is the Lord, he tucks in his garment, for he is lightly clad, and he jumps into the sea.

We don’t even see Jesus in this image, but we see Peter’s reaction when someone else tells him, “It is the Lord”—he believes and jumps in, so great is his haste to be with Jesus.

This is our position, too—we cannot see the risen Lord physically among us, but we have received word from others who have told us, through the ages, “It is the Lord.” In our Baptism, we’ve jumped in after him. And we have a responsibility to tell others who it is we see waiting for us on the shore so they, too, can join us.

Who are those faithful people who have pointed out Jesus’ presence to you? Who might you point to the risen Lord today?