Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel
Friday 21 April 2017
For me it is so great that in our Lord Jesus Christ such a God revealed His face , with whom we can have a dialogue , One who for His faint-hearted, helpless apostles , after Holy Thursday, Good Friday , on the shore of the sea of Galilee bakes fish on the blazing, crackling fire for breakfast . Who not only loves us but despite all our weaknesses , fallibility expects us to love Him . The God of the Christian churches is not a super power standing over the world , a blind law or a merciless force but a wise , merciful, forgiving , kind-hearted God, capable of love and also expecting love .A Christian does not have to loose his personality , his individuality does not have to dissolve in some big world-awarness but on the contrary , he’s got to worship with a burning love his living God calling him by his name . For a Christian because of this, life after death is not a pink fog , but a personal meeting with the Lord of Life, his loved ones , in the company of the saints . In the light of Easter may the desire rise in our hearts and lets do everything in our power. that we may meet , with our Lord Jesus Christ, who was prepared to cook fish on the charcoal fire for His slightly undeserving apostles . It is quite certain that He is not going to question us either as to where we have been and what did we do till now , but with open arms the same what He asked from Peter as well : do you love me ?
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Later on, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, 'I'm going fishing.' They replied, 'We'll come with you.' They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night. When it was already light, there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, 'Haven't you caught anything, friends?' And when they answered, 'No,' he said, 'Throw the net out to starboard and you'll find something.' So they threw the net out and could not haul it in because of the quantity of fish.
The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord.' At these words, 'It is the Lord,' Simon Peter tied his outer garment round him (for he had nothing on) and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net with the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.
As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, 'Bring some of the fish you have just caught.' Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.' None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, 'Who are you?'. They knew quite well it was the Lord.
Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.
John 21, 1-14
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel