Gospel according to Saint John 21:1-19:

At that time, 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.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Who can repair the nets?

Luis CASASUS President of the Idente Missionaries

Rome, May 04, 2025 | III Sunday of Easter

Acts 5: 27b-32.40b-41; Ap 5: 11-14; Jn 21: 1-19

It seems that the miracle performed by Christ, with the catch of the “153 large fish,” was NOT simply an act of generosity toward the seven disciples. He could have satisfied their desire to fish in a more discreet, less exaggerated way, with a moderate and sufficient number of fish. But it was, above all, a sign that they undoubtedly understood, beyond the endless biblical debate about the meaning of the number 153 and the abundance of messages presented in this famous story:

* The presence of Christ, even though the fishermen’s lack of faith prevented them from identifying Him.

* The night in which these disciples are immersed, highlighting their sterility and powerlessness: He who walks in the night stumbles (Jn 11:10).

* The boat, with very different people, but united in what is the Church and chosen for a mission that humanly speaking is beyond them. It is fulfilled in each one of them It is true for each one of them that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13).

* The sea, symbolizing danger, the terror of the unknown, all the forms of slavery that prevent us from living with joy.

* The bread, brought and offered by Jesus himself, representing his self-giving in the Passion and in the Eucharist.

* And, of course, Peter’s confirmation of his mission, without Christ mentioning a word of his previous weakness, stubbornness, or denial. It is a sublime moment that shows the value of confession, of the sacrament of Reconciliation, which always opens the door to a new way of caring for our neighbor.

But let us focus on that net that did not break, that was able to hold all the fish and serve to bring them to shore.

The net, of course, represents our apostolic mission, as Christ says unambiguously: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Mt 4:19). We must interpret this phrase by approaching its full greatness, which goes beyond the call to “recruit followers.”

Jesus is speaking in the everyday language of his disciples, who were fishermen, but as he often does in the Gospels, he uses familiar things to talk about the deepest and most spiritual aspects of our existence.

In biblical symbolism, the sea represents chaos, the unknown, the depths. Many cultures and modern psychology have preserved this meaning. Jung (1875-1961) said: For those who have seen chaos, there is no place to hide, because they know that the ground is shaking and they know what that shaking means (…). They know the sea and can never forget it.” Chaos is terrible: days as heavy as lead, nights full of horror (The Red Book).

So “fishing” for souls means humbly entering, with the help of grace, into the depths of the other, into their confusion, their pain, their search. It is not a matter of catching people for a cause, but of bringing out the essence of the human being from the depths. It is an invitation to help others recognize themselves, to find meaning in their lives through Christ, because the other nets are broken, they do not hold. And we must do all this while being aware that each one of us is in a similar situation, lest what St. Paul says happen to us: If anyone thinks he stands, let him take heed lest he fall (1 Cor 10:12).

Even more: we cannot know God the Father’s plan for each soul, so we must approach our neighbor with simplicity and at the same time with hope, for what we can be sure of is that the number of activities does not define our quality as apostles, as is so often observed. If we do not start from a state of prayer, Jesus’ sentence is fulfilled: Without me you can do nothing (Jn 15:5).

Without mentioning the person of Jesus, the works of evangelization do not achieve their goal. This explains why the Sanhedrin did not prevent the apostles from performing their good works of healing and exorcism. They could not deny the fact that the sick were being healed by them. Then they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). This is what the world wants us to do: avoid explicit mention of the person of Christ, which is impossible to repress for those who have had, and continue to have every day, an intimate encounter with Him.

We can do good works, help the poor, educate our young people, care for the sick, as long as we do so without proclaiming the name of Jesus. But when our apostolic or evangelizing work is born of prayer, of authentic listening, despite the opposition of the world and our limitations, all the fish will reach that shore where Christ awaits.

—ooOoo—

Those of us who have the privilege of living the Examination of Perfection know that in our mystical life, union with the Divine Persons begins with a permanent transformation of the soul (Transfigurative Union), in which we share how our Faith, Hope, and Charity have grown. When we refer to the soul, wouldn’t it be more logical to speak of empathy, self-esteem, motivation, affectivity…? All of that is very relevant and necessary, but limited. Only Christ can repair our nets. That is why Faith, Hope, and—above all—Charity transform our soul, changing the complex net of traumas, dreams, joys, discoveries, sensations, fears… that make up the human soul. They prepare it so that it can welcome—fish for—everything that God places within its reach. It is He who shapes our inner unity and the way we go outwards, our ecstasy.

Ultimately, we must remember that it is by living the apostolate that we evangelize ourselves. This is an important link that exists between faith, hope, and true love. When we bring Christ closer to others, our faith grows.

This is what happens to Peter. His empty net is an image of inner emptiness, frustration, and disconnection from the Master. The full net marks the encounter, reconciliation, and new beginning. The miraculous catch is an image of the success of the mission when it is carried out under the guidance of the Risen One. Alone, they catch nothing; but when they obey the word of the “stranger” on the shore, the net is filled, even though they later have to give their lives and their fame to persecution and martyrdom, even though there are misunderstandings among them, even though they see no fish all night long.

With such an abundant catch, Jesus made it clear that there is a multitude waiting to be freed, even though our sensitivity does not always perceive it, because we are preoccupied with our personal concerns.

Christ had said: When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself (Jn 12:32). And now, through his disciples, he fulfills his promise. No one will be left without the benefit of the miracle of salvation, regardless of the diversity of cultures, moral behavior, ideas, or languages.

Many would agree that the net is a good symbol of the soul itself: a net woven with moments that have marked me deeply; ideas and intuitions that I have always felt; people who have left a deep impression on me, even though they are no longer here or have never spoken to me; things that I do not fully understand, but which are there, vibrating silently. This image of our soul as a net is attractive and plausible, for there are many knots in us that we cannot and do not know how to connect. There is always an intimate division.

But Christ, through the Holy Spirit, heals every wound in that net, and thus a knot is strengthened; and sometimes a single event, whether intimate or external, renews every thread of the net, and everything is better prepared for fishing.

—ooOoo—

This little legend attempts to capture the two ways of seeing the net: as a mission and as our own torn soul.

In a village by the sea lived Samuel, an elderly and quiet fisherman. Every morning, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, he would set out in his boat with a net that had been mended a thousand times. The young people of the village laughed at it and mocked the poor fisherman:

That net is useless! It’s old, torn, and as full of knots as your beard!

But Samuel just smiled and mended it patiently. He said nothing.

One night, a fierce storm shook the coast. Many boats sank, and nets were lost. At dawn, the sea stopped roaring, but it also stopped yielding its fruits. For days, no fish bit, no net worked.

Then Samuel silently cast his old net into the water. Everyone watched from the shore.

When he pulled it out, it was full. Not only with fish, but with small pieces of seaweed, fragments of coral, and sea seeds. What the others threw away, his net kept.

A boy approached him and asked,

Why does your net catch fish and ours don’t?

Samuel replied,

Because this net is not just rope. Each knot is a story. Each thread is a mistake that has been mended. This net does not hunt: it embraces. This net does not trap: it receives.

From that day on, everyone began to care for their nets as if they were part of their soul: with attention, with tenderness, and without haste. And they also began to see each fish as a true gift.

_______________________________

In the Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

Luis CASASUS

President