Please press the highlighted to listen to the homily or download
Friday – Octave – Easter
Readings: Acts 4:1-12; Jn. 21:1-14.
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, with Annas the high priest,
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 should know
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.”
Gospel (Jn. 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.
Written by: Fr. Anthony Dinh Minh Tien, O.P.
I. THEME: Jesus is still acting in and with his apostles.
Jesus’ death isn’t the end of his life; but is the beginning of a new era in which he acts from inside and with his apostles.
Today readings illustrate the fact that Jesus is living and acting in his apostles. In the first reading, the people of the Sanhedrin were very surprise when they saw Peter and John could heal a cripple from birth. They interrogated Peter and John to find out in what power and whose name they did that. Peter, full of the Holy Spirit’s power, forcefully declared: We did that in the name of Jesus Nazorean whom you crucified to the cross. He is still living and acting in us; none could be saved except by believing in his name. In the Gospel, Jesus was watching over all of his apostle’s actions. When he saw that they worked all night long and caught no fish, he guided them to have a big catch. When he saw them tired and hungry, he prepared a meal for them to eat.
II. ANALYSIS:
1/ Reading I: The Sanhedrin used the same old trick to seize Peter and John.
1.1/ Peter and John faced the Sanhedrin: As happened to Jesus, Peter and John knew that they must face the Sanhedrin if they continued Jesus’ mission; but they weren’t afraid of them and ran away as in Jesus’ Passion. Their faith in the Resurrected Christ helped them to have courage to witness for Jesus without fear of persecution, scourge and prison.
When they were preaching 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 them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening.” The Sadducees don’t believe in the resurrection and were angry at the two apostles because they preached against their faith.
They couldn’t continued to suppress the truth because on that day, many of those who heard the word came to believe and the number of men grew to about five thousand. They were angry but couldn’t do nothing. They could use their power to suppress an individual; but they couldn’t suppress the crowd.
1.2/ Peter and John witnessed for Jesus: “On the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes were assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly class. They brought them into their presence and questioned them.”
(1) Their important question for Peter and John: “By what power or by what name have you done this?” The thing they implied as “this” in their question was Peter’ healing of the cripple from birth.
(2) Peter’s answer: 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 should know 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.’” Peter’s declaration was also his accusation of their sins because they killed the Son of God.
Peter went further when he declared: “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.”
2/ Gospel: “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.”
The author of the Fourth Gospel reported Jesus’ appearance to his apostles as follows: “After this, 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.”
There were many hypotheses about this report. Some said that since the apostles had no more hope after Jesus’ death, so they returned to their former way of living which was fishing. Others thought this story was only a symbolic lesson to teach the apostles that they must rely on Jesus in order to have good results in “fishing of men.” Anyway, we must find out the meaning of this passage.
2.1/ Jesus guided his apostles to catch fish: 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: “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.
– 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.
They worked hard all night long but catch no fish; but with Jesus’ instruction even though it was only one sentence, they followed and had a big catch. People have freedom to do what they want; but they shall harvest no result if they refused to do according to God’s will.
2.2/ Jesus prepared a meal for his apostles: “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.”
This was probably the only time in the gospels which mentioned of Jesus’ cooking. He had pity for his apostles because they were tired and hungry. 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. These acts reminded them of the Eucharist and the Feeding of the Five Thousand miracle.
III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– Christ is still living and acting in the world, the Church, our family and all of us; do we feel his presence in our life?
– We should frequently attend Mass, because through it, we are instructed in the right way and strengthened by Christ’s body and blood after a long and tired working day.
– We have a duty to witness for the Resurrected Christ by listening and practicing his teachings, even though we must face the devil and worldly power.