Breakfast is cooking

I always said, that when I get old, I’m going to be a good fisherman. Well, I got the first part down, working on the second. How many can remember the very first fish you ever caught? For me, fish tails I have plenty. But, the first fish I ever caught taught me a valuable lesson on how to hook a fish.

My uncle, who was like my older brother, was an avid fisherman, and couldn’t wait to take me fishing. He surprised me with a fishing rod for Christmas when I was only five years old. And from Christmas until early spring he would explain what I had to do when I hooked a fish. He would reiterate over and over again, let it nibble on the bait, let it taste it, but when the bobber goes down, pull like your life depended on it.

The day came, early spring and we went to Churchville reservoir in Bucks County, parked the car, climbed down the embankment to the lake and fishing I went.

After he cast out the line, I watched that bobber every minute afraid to blink in case it would disappear before my eyes. Then it happened, a nibble, the bobber was moving sideways, it started to sink and then the bobber went completely underwater and I heard my uncle shout “pull”. I did and I pulled so hard the small sun fish, came up out of the water, over my head, over the embankment and landed somewhere onto the road above.

As I was reeling in the slack and climbing up the hill as quickly as I could, I saw the poor little fish kind of laying in the middle of the road, flopping up and down. And then fear. A car was quickly approaching and I could only think of the worse for my first fish. So, again, I fiercely pulled on the line and the fish went flying again, off the road, over my head, off the hook and back into the water. I guess I didn’t hook him well enough.

What a difference between me pulling on my line one tiny fish and the apostles pulling on their nets and barely able to bring in their large catch. The difference is in the number of fish.

One hundred and fifty three fish they netted. Some people are curious as to why John specified the number of fish in the catch. Why 153? There have been many symbolic interpretations, all pointing to the variety, size and full nature of Jesus’ call. St. Jerome has mentioned that there were about 153 different species of fish in the days of Jesus, and symbolically represents the gathering in of people of all the nations of the world.

And the nets!  despite the size of the catch, they didn’t break or tear. Could this too be symbolic? That regardless of the number of followers, and their roots that the Church would remain intact?

Regardless of how competent they were at fishing, the apostles were lost, their best friend has left them, they felt abandoned, so they resorted to what they knew best – fishing. But their lives were about to change. The empty feeling was about to be filled with hope. No longer would they be fishers of the sea, but to would be fishers of men. God’s plan at work.

Jesus was to meet them at the shoreline, cooking breakfast for the apostles. And with that meal, our Church was forming. Because on this day, the most powerful words of Jesus to Peter “Do you love me”. Three times the bait was cast and Peter nibbled and finally was hooked. Peter cries out “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you”. The Church has its shepherd

We like Peter have failed many times in our lives, and yet, Jesus still calls out to us, “Do you love me”. Have we failed like Peter, because of lack of courage, or self-centeredness, by putting our own interest ahead of God’s interest? But there is a Peter in all of us.

How often is Jesus holding the bait until we are hooked, and how often do we nibble. Or like some fish, we don’t like the taste of the bait and swim away. Or are we aware that when we are hooked, our lives will change and we don’t want to change.

But it is those who are hooked who can say “You know that I love you”. Yes, reel me in to the shore line to have a breakfast with you.

But saying yes to Jesus brought with it a task for Peter, the apostles and for us, “If you love me, then feed my sheep”. It is the task of living a life most pleasing to Jesus, nurturing our faith and feeding the lambs of Jesus’ flock.  We say yes and Jesus says, I am with you always.

Listen, “Come have breakfast”. He’s calling us to join him, and he’s calling us by name. God has giving us some food to nibble on, a question, a spiritual call, “Do you love me”. Our heart is ready, we come to believe that he is the way, the truth and the life. “Yes Jesus”, we say.  “then follow me and feed my sheep”.