Friday within the Octave of Easter
(Acts 4:1-12; John 21:1-14)
In every regular mass this week - actually from Sunday to Sunday - the gospel provides an appearance of the risen Christ. Although these accounts bear some marks of editorial expansion, they assure readers of the resurrection as an historical fact. But the nature of the resurrection is transhistorical, which means that it has never been duplicated in history. Still reliable witnesses testify that they have seen the risen Lord. Their stories provide an explanation of the empty tomb, the circumstancial evidence for the resurrection.
Today's gospel appearance takes place at the Sea of Tiberias. It seems strange that Jesus' disciples would return to their former occupatioon after being commissioned to go forth with the Holy Spirit and forgive sins. Yet many people who have had profound religious experiences can become almost indifferent to what happened to them. Jesus, true to his promise during the Last Supper, does not abandon his disciples but comes again to reissue the mandate to preach forgiveness. This is expressed symbolically as he says, "'Cast your net over the right side...'"
Some still dismiss the resurrection appearances as psychological experiences. They challenge believers to prove that they happened in reality. We should respond in two ways. First, we need to study the accounts with the help of faithful commentators so that we may provide a reasonable explanation of all the details. Second, and perhaps more decisively, we want to testify to their veracity by showing how they have made our lives more holy.
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