This Sunday’s gospel (Jn 21:1-19) talks of the third time that the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples.While the first two happened in a closed room (cf. Jn 20:19-31), in this episode by the Lake of Tiberias, the disciples were back in their usual work – fishing. Here in their place of work, while struggling to get a catch for the day’s sustenance, the Lord Jesus appeared to them, but they didn’t recognize him. Only the intuition of love allowed one (the beloved disciple) to shout, “It is the Lord!”
Where do I meet the Risen Lord today? In daily work, in my encounter with people, in the struggles I need to face daily. Certainly there are special places and moments when I feel this presence intensely—in the Eucharist, in prayerful reading of the Word, in my quiet time, etc. But I have always believed that the world is permeated by the presence of God. So says Gerald Manley Hopkins: “The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;…”
As a university student (and later as a teacher), I used to spend much time travelling by public transport. In the place where I lived, jeepneys and buses usually played music as a means of attracting passengers. The songs I hear over the radio were my “starters” of conversation with the Lord. Songs such as You’ve Got a Friend (1970’s), I Just Called to Say I love you (1980’s), If We Hold On Together (1990’s), Prayer (2000…), etc. Even here where I presently reside, I usually get "surprised" by radio tunes which become points of contact and interaction with my Divine Master.
What I’m trying to say is that we are always given the chance to perceive the Lord’s presence in our lives daily but we need to “tune in” to his wavelength. His message to us is really just one. In fact, going back to the Gospel reading of today, I really believe that the premise of Jesus’ question to Simon Peter, “do you love me?” is this one message that he repeats to us daily but we simply take for granted (or we are just too obtuse to notice).
It is “I love you!” And his question to us is, “do you love me?” From here flows all action and mission.
