Someone said that one of God’s favorite games with his children is ‘hide and seek. 

And his version is of course , unique because he can really hide himself so well that we humans are always at a loss in our search for him. This is portrayed very well in the resurrection narrative of the gospel  today. Still lost and confused in their grief of their Master’s death, Peter and six other Apostles try to go back to their old familiar job: fishing . They go out all night but catch nothing. But before returning to the shore, someone from the beach appears and points out the way: “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something” .  In the midst of the Apostles ’failure as seasoned fishermen, someone comes to their rescue in order to turn the tide to their favor. Will they recognize him? Hardly.  Only the one whom the Master loved does ‘’ It is the Lord ‘’ [v 7].

 

 The resurrected Jesus need not explain himself to his friends. He only has to remind them of his loving acts. In fact when they reach the shore, there is already the charcoal fire, with fish on it and bread. And there is Jesus who beckons them; ‘’Bring some of the fish you just caught’’[v 10] ‘’Come , have breakfast’’ [ v 12 ].  And the evangelist reports ’’None of the disciples dared to ask Him ‘ Who are you? Because they realized it was the Lord ‘ [ v 12 ].

The challenge of the disciples is also our challenge to recognize the presence of Jesus in every situation … Do we recognize Him in our daily life as christian of today?

In the light of the resurrection faith ,the challenge to Jesus’ followers is to recognize his presence in the daily grind of life, amid worries and preoccupations, joys and triumphs. It is here that we learn the habits of discipleship of learning to seek and find the traces of ‘’Divine presence’’ . The experience of the disciples moments of feeling lost or drifting our own spiritual lives. Just as they returned fishing , we sometimes revert to our old ways when we feel distant from Jesus . This passage reminds us that Jesus meet us in our mundane tasks and calls us back into deeper fellowship with Him . The disciples initially fail to recognize Jesus on the shore, which reflects our own struggles in perceiving His presence in our lives. It is a call to attentive awareness , Jesus is near us , guiding us toward abundance ,recognizing Him involves trusting in His words ,even when circumstances seem bleak . 

 

The miraculous catch symbolizes not just fulfillment of physical needs but also spiritual abundance. When the disciples obeyed Jesus’ command ,they were blessed immensely , this illustrates that obedience to Christ even in small acts opens us up to receiving His grace in extraordinary ways. The gospel of this Sunday serves as a  reminder  of Jesus unwavering , His ability to transform lives and His call to serve others in love. By reflecting on this gospel we deepen our connection to the Risen Lord and our mission as His followers.

We pray that we may be able to recognize the  presence of the Lord , may we be able to live in the light and mystery of the Easter glow discovering the reality of Christ’s presence in our world trough acts of justice ,love and kindness that help transform even our lowliest occupation into a godly mission, sometimes a mission  as simple and intimate as a family or communal feast filled with love and generous sharing.