In today’s Gospel, the risen Christ reveals himself to his disciples. Only a few days ago, Jesus had died on the Cross. His followers had fled. As far as they were concerned, it was all over, and they themselves were in danger. The Gospel implies that they had all returned to their native Galilee to resume their former way of life, as fishermen. After a whole night they had caught nothing. Suddenly, a stranger on the shore calls out to them, “Have you caught anything?” Reluctantly, the fishermen admit they have nothing. “Drop your nets on the right side, and you’ll find something,” they are told. They did so, and were overwhelmed–there were so many fish that they couldn’t be taken onto the boat. It is at that moment that the Disciple whom Jesus loved, cries out, “It is the Lord!” Peter and the others now realise that Jesus is present, and when they reach the shore, they find Jesus preparing a meal for them.
There are all the elements of a Eucharist here. They are in the presence of Jesus, the Word of God, and listening to him. They and he are sharing what they have, and eating in unity. . At the same time, there is what may seem strange, “None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, “Who are you?”, because they knew it was the Lord. The Risen Jesus now takes on many forms. The Risen Jesus does not look as he used to look. Jesus, from now on, has many faces–my friends, my enemies, my rich neighbour, my poor neighbour – he is especially found and recognised in the poor, the weak, the stranger, the foreigner, the exploited…… Jesus now has a Jewish face, a Chinese face, an Indian face, a Philipino face, an Arab face, an African face……
Christianity must never become a Religion of insiders, because it is precisely in the outsider that Jesus is to be found. His death and Resurrection are for all. Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. Let us go and spread the Word!