Sunday, May 4, is the Third Sunday of Easter. Mass readings: Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41; Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 or John 21:1-14

The Gospel today focuses on Peter’s journey of faith. Through several stages, Peter finds his way back to the Lord and the mission the Lord has for him. Let’s see what God does.

The journey begins with a regrettable reversal. Peter speaks to several of the other apostles and says he is going back to fishing. This is unfortunate since the Lord had called him away from fishing (Matthew 4:19). Despite seeing the Lord risen on at least three occasions, he is still struggling to understand it all. So too for many of us; even after many examples of how the Lord has blessed us, we still struggle to believe.

But next comes a redeeming reminder. The Gospel says, “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.’”

Jesus reminded them of their call in a gentle way. He calls them back in the same way he first called them to be “fishers of men.”

The next stage of the journey is a reorienting repast. Jesus has prepared breakfast for them. And in the context of the meal, he reorients them to their true mission. A common theory of the 153 fish is that it represented the number of known nations at the time. If so, he was reminding them of the call he had given them to preach his Gospel to the ends of the Earth.

Then comes a reconciling redo. Peter had denied Jesus three times. And now the Lord seeks to restore him by summoning him to the highest love, agape. In a moment of honesty, Peter answers that he loves the Lord with brotherly love (phileo se). Such distinctions are missing in the English text, but they are there in the Greek text. No more big promises this time. He humbly admits he falls short of what the Lord seeks. The Lord does not reject him. Instead, he accepts this lesser love and promises that Peter will one day reach the perfect agape love when he gives his life for the Lord and the Gospel.

Finally comes the required remedy. Jesus says at the end, “Follow me.” The only way Peter or you or I are going to attain the kingdom of God and perfect love is by following Jesus. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth^* and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

So be like Peter and get behind Jesus and follow him.