KEEPING JESUS IN VIEW ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE

The situation that Simon Peter, together with the rest of the Apostles, found themselves may best be described as an imbroglio – an extremely confused, complicated, or embarrassing situation. Peter then said, ‘I am going fishing.’ The others replied, ‘we will go with you’, thus returning to their former trade as fishermen. Yet they had been called by Christ to become fishers of men.  (cf. Jn 21:1-14). Could this be a distracting departure? At that point in time, they pushed aside any thought about Jesus and or resurrection that had so far consumed and drained them. That thought needed to take a backseat, momentarily, even as they struggled to make sense of it all. It was a moment of losing sight of Jesus, forgetting his words and nearly giving up hope. No doubt the Lord is always nearby to help our faith, to point the right way, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some,’ he had said.

Beloved people of God, notwithstanding the difficulties and challenges of our lives, as we actively and patiently wait on God for answers to our prayers and solutions to our problems, may we keep alive our vision of Jesus always and everywhere. This remains one sure secret to many a successful venture or endeavour in life. We must give our allegiance to him, rather than to human beings. We remain answerable to him whenever our decision bothers on faith, conscience and right. This is in keeping with the answer from Peter and the Apostles, ‘We must obey God rather than men’. We remember to extol him, ‘…the Lamb, giving him all blessing, honour and glory and might’ (Cf Rev 5:11-14). 

We pray to be able to recognise him and for the docility needed to ‘listen and obey’ when he points out the way forward to us as he did to his Apostles by the Sea of Tiberias. His words are true. They are spirit. Trusting him absolutely is faith, and it is right!

                               Fr. Ted