There is a bit of irony in the story of the disciples going fishing after the resurrection. After the intense drama of the passion and first appearances of the risen Christ, Peter decides to go fishing. For most of us, fishing is something we might do on vacation or in order to relax. We haven’t forgotten that this is how the disciples made a living, but you still get the impression that they wanted to take a break. Work can be like a break, a different kind of activity that stimulates the mind and the senses when we want to change our focus. I wonder if St. Peter was looking for some way to distract himself or recover some kind of routine or stability.
Wednesday in the Octave of Easter
Today the disciples encounter Jesus on the way to Emmaus. They are sad and perhaps at the point of despair because their expectations about Jesus were not met. They thought Jesus was going to solve their political and temporal problems and He did not. Worst of all, His death was extremely shameful and ugly. When Jesus appears to them, He allows them to explain their misery and disappointment. They have no idea who they are talking to, but since He is such a good listener they are able to “faire la vérité.” Sometimes the step forward in our walk with Christ feels like a step backwards. When we admit our bitterness or resentment when life has not gone as we think it should while we’ve held tenaciously to our understanding of what we should believe, it can feel like we are taking a step backwards. It is in those moments that Jesus makes Himself known in a renewed openness to the Scriptures and in the breaking of the bread, the Eucharist. The point of the incarnation was not to make us even more dependant on our senses and feelings, but to finally free our mind to contemplate, in faith, the one who never changes.
Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
Quotes:
“Acts 2:41 (ACCS Ac): Firstfruits. Bede: On the fiftieth day of Passover, when the law was given, Moses indeed ordered the festival of firstfruits to be introduced. Now, however, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, it is not sheaves of grain but the firstfruits of souls that are consecrated to the Lord.”
“Noteworthy in v 38 are the four elements of Peter’s answer to the question posed by his listeners: They are to (1) reform their lives, (2) be baptized, (3) have their sins forgiven, and (4) receive the Holy Spirit. Peter’s answer thus differs from the answer given by the Baptist in Luke 3:10, 12, 14, when he was asked what they were to do. Here one has a glimpse of Luke’s understanding of Christian baptism. Two of the elements call for personal cooperation, and two reveal the effects of Christian conversion.”