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| “Appearance on Lake Tiberias” by James Tissot, 1886-96 |
Reading 1: Acts
4:1-12
After the crippled man had
been cured,
while Peter and John were
still speaking to the people,
the priests, the captain of
the temple guard,
and the Sadducees confronted
them,
disturbed that they were
teaching the people
and proclaiming in Jesus the
resurrection of the dead.
They laid hands on Peter and
John
and put them in custody until
the next day,
since it was already evening.
But many of those who heard
the word came to believe
and the number of men grew to
about five thousand.
On the next day, their
leaders, elders, and scribes
were assembled in Jerusalem
Caiaphas, John, Alexander,
and all who were of the
high-priestly class.
They brought them into their
presence and questioned them,
"By what power or by
what name have you done this?"
Then Peter, filled with the
Holy Spirit, answered them,
"Leaders of the people
and elders:
If we are being examined
today
about a good deed done to a
cripple,
namely, by what means he was
saved,
then all of you and all the
people of Israel
that it was in the name of
Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God
raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands
before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by
you, the builders,
which has become the
cornerstone.
There is no salvation through
anyone else,
nor is there any other name
under heaven
given to the human race by
which we are to be saved."
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Commentary on Acts
4:1-12
This selection
follows Peter and John as they proclaim Christ crucified and risen. As we hear today, their effective apology has
now gained them an audience with Caiaphas and the rest of the Sanhedrin – the
very same people who handed Jesus over to be crucified. Peter, having just performed a saving act in
Jesus’ name, reminds them of this fact with the famous cornerstone (in other
versions the word used is “keystone” or “head of the corner”) speech using
imagery from their own hymnal Psalm
118:22 coincidently used as our psalm
response below.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a
R. (22) The stone rejected by the builders has become
the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for
he is good,
for his mercy endures
forever.
Let the house of Israel
"His mercy endures
forever."
Let those who fear the LORD
say,
"His mercy endures
forever."
R. The stone rejected by
the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The stone which the builders
rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been
done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has
made;
let us be glad and rejoice in
it.
R. The stone rejected by
the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house
of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has
given us light.
R. The stone rejected by
the builders has become the cornerstone.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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Commentary on Ps
118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a
This litany of
thanksgiving features the cornerstone image that, in addition to the Acts
selection above, was also used in the Gospel of St. Mark (Mark
12:10) and the first epistle of St.
Peter (1 Peter 2:7)
(there are 9 other references in the NAB as well).
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Gospel: John
21:1-14
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.
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Commentary on Jn
21:1-14
This passage
relates the Lord’s third appearance to the disciples. Again he is not at first recognized. In typical Johannine fashion, the first to
recognize the Lord was the disciple whom Jesus loved, presumed to be St. John
Jesus tells them
were to cast the net and, indeed, they net a great number of fish (153 probably
symbolic of universal mission of the Church - the total species of fish known
at the time or the sum of numbers from 1-17).
Peter is so excited he jumps in and swims to shore, discovering Jesus
with a fish already cooking and bread, a Eucharistic reference.
When they are
joined by the other disciples they were so overawed that they could not even
speak. Then the Lord broke the bread.
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Reflection:
One week ago today we
recalled the Passion of our Lord and felt the tragic pang of sorrow as he was
laid in the tomb. It always seems odd to
see the tabernacle bare and empty, the vigil light extinguished. Lots of folks can’t seem to understand or
perhaps they are just so accustomed to reverencing the Eucharist they don’t
think about what it is that‘s missing.
Today, that missing component
is back, back in the tabernacle. The
Lord too is back with the disciples who themselves are back fishing, where many
of them started. Now the Lord lets them
(and us) know that, while he has fulfilled the Father’s plan, the mission has
not completed. The Lord has made them
“Fishers of men” as he promised. Now as
then, He directs us and we are to cast his net and the net is made up of each
of us.
Knowing we need strength for
such a difficult task he feeds us with his own body in the Eucharist – he says
“Come, have breakfast.” The scripture story has one additional piece
of symbolism for us after that invitation – the disciples, the ones he called
and who had been walking with him for three long years, they were there and
they too were afraid of the task that beaconed to them.
Today as we again pray in
thanksgiving that “He is Risen!” we also ask God for the strength to carry on
the work to which, like the disciples on the shore of Galilee
Pax
[2]
The picture used is “Appearance on Lake Tiberias” by James Tissot, 1886-96
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception
of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the International
Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is not authorized
by USCCB and is for private use only.
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