With Opened Bible
Fishers of Men
Jesus appeared to his apostles for the third time. This time, it was on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias, commonly known as the Sea of Galilee. This sea holds significant importance in Jesus's life and ministry, as it was the place where he performed many miracles and delivered profound teachings. There, he met Peter, his brother Andrew, and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John. It was in this place, at the crossroads of pagan nations, that he called them to become 'fishers of men' (Cf. Mathew 4:19).
Jesus met them at the point of departure to remind them of the reason for their call: to cast the nets of the Gospel into the sea of nations. He called them to become 'fishers of men,' a metaphor that signifies their role in spreading the teachings of the Gospel to all people. Just as fishermen catch fish from the sea, the apostles were to 'catch' people by sharing the Gospel and leading them to Christ. And that is what happened.
When the Lord asked them to cast the nets into the sea, Peter obeyed. And the miraculous happened. The net was filled to the brim, an abundance that defied all expectations and inspired awe. The number of fish increased to 153, a deeply symbolic number. (John 21:11) The apostle John, the author of the same Gospel, did not reveal the quantity of fish they caught to inform his audience, but rather the spiritual meaning of this episode. One hundred and fifty-three is a highly symbolic number. It reminds us of the 153 nations known at the time according to Jewish geography. For Saint John, Jesus commanded his apostles to proclaim the Gospel to all these nations of the earth, a mission that includes us all. Hence, the word catholicos to express the universal mission of the Church. The Church (bark of Peter) is sent to proclaim (net) the Good News to all nations, uniting us in our shared mission. (Cf. Mathew 28:19) This universal mission should instill in us a sense of responsibility and unity in our service to Him. For this mission to be complete, Jesus forgave Peter for his past denials. Three tmes, he had denied Christ (John 18:17, 25-27); three tmes, Jesus asked him to shepherd his fock. (John 21:15-17) The One chosen and sent is the One who has been forgiven and saved, a powerful reminder of the grace and mercy of our Lord. This forgiveness should fll us with grattude and humble us in our service to Him.
