Breakfast With Jesus 

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Next Sunday’s Gospel from John, the Evangelist, highlights another post-Resurrection story of Jesus meeting with his disciples. (I love that John makes sure to mention that Thomas is there. It’s almost like saying the ‘bad boy’ who is always absent has come to school today.) The Sea of Tiberias is the same lake as the Sea of Galilee, the body of fresh water where the disciples often labored as fishermen. This lake is considered by scientists as a lake at the lowest point on earth. It is fairly shallow as well. Its size and position make it very vulnerable to sudden changes in the wind and weather. Recall how the disciples were terrified at the storm which threatened their lives while Jesus slept in the boat. 

Notice also how this story takes place in Galilee which means the disciples had left Jerusalem where Jesus had risen and appeared to them several times. This abrupt change of geography in the narration suggests that all of Chapter 21 is an addendum, a second conclusion to the Gospel. In fact, most translations indicate Chapter 21 as the concluding chapter although Chapter 20 also has a ‘concluding’ paragraph. Was this story in Chapter 21 later told and John approved it to be included? Whatever the reason, the story is meaningful for several reasons.

First, it narrates another meeting in which a meal is a focal point. Later in the evening—as Luke tells us—the meal at Emmaus takes place. Second, the community of disciples is important even though all are not mentioned in this story. Third, a teaching occurs after or during the meal. As usual, Jesus has been careful to link teaching with a meal. 

Now for the setting. Jesus appears on the shore of the lake and has cooked some fish and bread over a fire. When Jesus asks if they had caught anything, the disciples, not recognizing him, said no but when he tells them to let the nets over the right side of the boat and they seize a large amount fish, they recognize Jesus. Peter jumps in the water to run toward him. Now they feel safe and loved.

I cannot find in which theologian’s work I had read a quote that said something like one can make a personal religion reading the Bible, saying personal prayers, doing good deeds. One can even deepen these practices by adding philosophy and the writings of moral and admired thinkers. But, without the meal, the breaking of bread together and sharing it with all present, one does not have even a personal religion. One has a series of helpful, feel good, informed directives that may or may not offer committed direction. But one does not have a religion, a faith. A former atheist once told me that in atheism, the only thing you can fall back on is your own intellect which can be falsely informed and even self-serving. If the self-serving becomes selfish – there is no God for you to believe in. You will believe only in what you can rationalize. 

Breakfast on the shore with his friends is another way Jesus chose to teach, by action, the community required of his disciples and centered in a Eucharistic meal. If you read further after this part of the Gospel in the liturgy, you will read that once breakfast is over Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. He asks it three times, each time ending with the request that Peter feed, tend my sheep and finally, “Follow me.” In the presence of a community, Peter is given an assignment. The other disciples are to follow as well. One can imagine the excitement and yet the fear of having seen Jesus on the shore. After a night of fruitless fishing, the disciples had encountered him once again. But in the calmness of the early morning sun and a placid lake, when the Eucharistic meal Jesus had made is finished, the mission begins. I thought of Gerhard Lohfink’s appropriate words that the reception of the Eucharist “becomes a genuine encounter with Christ, an encounter in which we listen to his words and offer him our human lives. And reception of the Eucharist only becomes a genuine encounter with him, when believers themselves, in their common discipleship of Jesus, become one body.” (All My Springs Are in You, p. 193) All of this happened on the shores of the Sea of Galilee that glorious morning.

Some might argue this is not a Eucharistic moment because there are no words of blessing and no wine as in the Last Supper. We do not know this for sure, but we do know that community is present, belief in Jesus is confirmed and the commissioning to go out to all and to follow him are all there—all parts of every Eucharistic celebration.

Reflection

Sometimes we take the liturgy of the Eucharist for granted. It comes along with easy accessibility to it, (although that may be diminishing given the lack of priests) and often a type of boredom if we are distracted during the liturgy. It might help to give yourself a few moments before Mass to reflect on what the Eucharist means for you and your loved ones. Perhaps you might think of the two most important communities in your life: family and faith. How do you embrace the people in each of these? How does the Christ in you meet the need in another who might be a person you take for granted? How easily or not do you recognize the shadowy figure of Jesus on a far shore calling you to share bread and make community? Let’s think of these questions as we meditate this week on breakfast with Jesus.

Note: Next week in this post, we will ‘spiritualize’ the Conclave as it opens in Rome. I’ll try to be as comprehensive as my limit of 1,000 words will let me. Meantime, we pray in thanksgiving for Pope Francis and ask his guidance and that of the Holy Spirit in the election of a new pope.