Jesus is on the shore (Jn 21:4). It is the shore of eternity: after his Resurrection he lives in a new dimension. But only on the shore, because he has not yet fully returned to his Father (cf. Jn 20:17). It is that intermediate time of which the Acts of the Apostles speaks to us: "He Himself appeared to them after His passion, giving them numerous proofs that He was alive, appearing to them for forty days and speaking to them about the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:3). He can reveal and conceal his glory at will - "the disciples did not know it was Jesus."-as he did with Mary Magdalene at the tomb and with the disciples at Emmaus.
This is the second miraculous catch of fish by Christ. The first (Lk. 5:1-11) led to the call of the apostles and, in particular, of Peter, while this episode leads to the consecration of Peter as universal shepherd (Jn. 21:15-18). It is a new call, also to total self-denial (vv. 18-19).
Jesus addresses the disciples as "children". One with the Father (Jn 10:30) and with the Spirit who leads us to divine sonship (Rom 8:14-17), he is playing a divine game with them as a loving father plays with his children. He knows very well that they have no fish and that in a few seconds he will miraculously grant them 153 great ones! Christ has risen to make us sons and daughters of God in him, true children of God now (1 Jn 3:2), but we will only feel this reality fully, live it, when we can finally cross the perilous "sea" of this life and reach the solid ground of eternal life in heaven (see Rev 4:6; 15:2).
But to cross this sea and survive in its stormy waters we must be in Peter's boat, the new ark of salvation as Noah's was in his time. We must go fishing with Peter (Jn 21:3) - that is, the Pope - sharing both his successes and his failures. Only in Peter's boat can we be safe (Mk 4:35-41). As today's first reading shows, Peter guides us in our faithful witness to Christ, and even if we have to suffer for it, we are "..." (Mk 4:35-44).glad to have deserved that outrage for the Name". (Acts 5:41). And he guides us on the way to Christ (Jn 21:7).
But all of us, in our own small way, receive a part of Peter's authority: we too, as fathers, good friends or souls consecrated to God in celibacy, must feed the lambs and care for and shepherd the sheep entrusted to us.
