Friday in the Octave of Easter
Here we are near the end of the first week of Easter. Most of us are back to work and school (or returning soon), and our “ordinary” lives. There may still be some Easter candy, baskets, and flowers in the house, maybe some leftover ham still in the refrigerator, but we’re returning to what we ordinarily do on a day-to-day basis. Today’s gospel passage (John 21:1-14) reminds me of this as we hear of Simon Peter, after all that he and the others have witnessed and been through, saying, “I am going fishing.” And six of the other disciples that were with him, decide to come along too.
Maybe they were hungry, or didn’t know what else to do, so they did what they had done many times before: they went fishing. And it was during this very ordinary act that they encountered the risen Christ. Jesus invites them to breakfast on the shore with him after helping them score a tremendous catch of fish (153, the gospel writer tells us). Reminiscent of their Last Supper together, the author tells us, “Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish.” In this simple act of hospitality Jesus reveals himself to his disciples once again.
What are you doing today? May our eyes and ears, minds and hearts, be open to encountering Jesus in the ordinary during this not-ordinary liturgical time of Easter. Whether it’s doing dishes or laundry, changing diapers or changing the oil in the car, preparing a meal or a class to teach, going for a walk or…going fishing. Happy Easter.
~Eileen Miller