Friday, April 22 : Saint Peter Chrysologus

“When it was already dawn, says the Gospel, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.” The whole world was thrown into confusion and was convinced that its Creator’s death had cast it back into its original darkness and ancient chaos (Gn 1:2). But all at once, in the light of his resurrection, our Lord brought back day again and restored its familiar face to the world. He had come to raise up with him and into his glory all those creatures he had seen to be so sadly destroyed. “When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore.” In the first place this was to regroup his Church into the firmness of faith. He had found his disciples deprived of faith, stripped of their manly strength. There was Peter who had denied him, Thomas who had doubted, John who had fled, which was why he didn’t speak to them like valiant soldiers but like frightened children. “Children, have you anything to eat?” In this way his humanity will bring them back to grace, bread to trust, food to faith. For in fact they would not believe he had been raised in the body without seeing him stoop to bodily requirements and eating. That is why he who is abundance of all good things asks to be fed. He eats the bread himself because he is hungry, not for food but for the love of his own: “Children, have you anything to eat?’ They answered: No.” What did they have who had not Christ – even though he stood in their midst – and could not yet see the Lord – although he had appeared before them? “He said to them: Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.”
Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team