Message of Abbot Paul - Easter Friday - 5th April 2024

​You might have heard that my dearest and most faithful companion and gift of God Toby passed away suddenly this week. He had been particularly lively and happy over Holy Week and Easter, enjoying his visits to Leominster and Bromyard, in fact, until Wednesday afternoon, when he had difficulty walking and collapsed onto the carpet. The vet and her nursing assistant came at once and were absolutely wonderful in caring for him, doing all they could to make him comfortable and at peace and also looking after me. Over the past eleven and a half years he has been the most loving companion, intelligent, humorous and playful. What he most enjoyed was just to see me sitting in an armchair doing my lectio or mental prayer. He always made sure I was faithful to my monastic life, as well as instigating and encouraging exercise and fresh air. No matter what the weather, we never missed a walk or a visit to the kitchen, his favourite spot, to see the chefs. His ashes will be buried next to Bertie and Badger, my two earlier canine friends, and not too far from where I too will be buried one of these days, hopefully many years ahead.

 

​Our Gospel passage today comes from John, (Jn 21: 1-14), and recounts in some detail the third meeting between the risen Christ and his disciples in this Gospel. In fact, the passage ends with the words, “This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.” Seven of the disciples are back in Galilee, on the shores of Lake Tiberius, when Simon Peter suggests that they go fishing. Although we know that Jesus sent a message to his disciples to return to Galilee, that he would see them there, it seems strange to see them back on the lake working as fishermen again. Still, they were following Jesus’ instructions. The others reply that they will go too, “They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.” Having no success, the night’s fishing sees them return without a catch. “It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus.” Typical in John, when Jesus is not present, it is night, but when he appears, it is day. Even so, they fail to recognise him. “Jesus called out, ‘Have you caught anything, friends?’ And when they answered, ‘No’, he said, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.’ So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in.” He calls them friends, as he had done at the Last Supper, yet they fail to recognise him. Then, one of them twigs. “The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ At these words ‘It is the Lord’, Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.” It’s the beloved disciple, who accompanied Peter to the tomb, he who “saw and believed,” and at the Last Supper asked Jesus who was it that would betray him, who now recognises Jesus and says to Simon, “It is the Lord.”

 

​“As soon as they came ashore, they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish.” Jesus is preparing breakfast for his disciples. They see bread and fish, already being cooked over a charcoal fire. Jesus suggests that they share some of their catch with him. So it is, they break their fast with Jesus on the shore of the lake. The words used by Jesus reflect those spoken at the Last Supper and the Eucharist. Although they are not bold enough at this stage to ask Jesus anything, they know deep down that this is indeed the Lord.

 

​Lord, you are with us in our daily work, you are with us in our every need, you are with us whenever we call upon you, you are with us wherever we are. Like the disciples, we usually don’t recognise your presence within and among us, but you are there, you are here. Lord, you come as a stranger, but you remain as a friend. May your Name be blessed for ever. Amen.