In today’s readings at Mass we continue along the journey of faith with the disciples as they encounter the risen Christ. In the Gospel we have the account of the appearance of Jesus at the sea of Tiberius. The disciples had just returned to their jobs as fishermen and were together after a long night’s work fishing. Tired and weary they were about to abandon the boat having caught nothing but the appearance of Jesus on the shore at the light of dawn changes everything. At first they did not realise it was Jesus but as they cast out their nets and yielded a miraculous haul of fish they recognised his presence and were assured he was indeed their Lord.
The message of Easter challenges us to make a step closer to the risen Jesus by opening our hearts to his presence in the everyday aspects of lives. We rejoice and give thanks as we celebrate his joyous victory over sin and death. It is because of the resurrection that Christ is with us on all of our journeys through life. But can we recognise his presence in our lives and come to know him better?
Jesus does not expect us to have a perfect faith. He meets us wherever we are on life’s journey. He knows that in our walk of faith we face many highs and lows. Sometimes it’s not easy to recognise his presence in our lives and believe the good news of the resurrection but we have to remember we are just ordinary believers and it is natural for us to experience struggles and have doubts. The disciples even had their doubts, yet it is because of their faith that we can believe today.
In simple ways we can be witnesses of Easter faith by sharing the joyful message of the Resurrection in our families and communities and especially among those to those who are in most need of love. We can particularly draw strength from the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist by giving to him all that we are and allowing ourselves to be transformed by the power of his love. We should never be afraid to open our hearts to encounter the risen Lord more deeply. He desires a relationship with us even more than we could ever imagine. All we need to do is trust.
“Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.” – Pope Francis, 30th March 2013
