A LIFE CHANGING BREAKFAST

Mensa Christi (The Table of Christ)

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

The Holy Gospel reading for the first Sunday after New Sunday is from St John 21: 1-14. In the last two blogs (link here- A Tale of Two Coal Fires and The ‘Nets’ and the 'Net’), we contemplated on the ‘coal of fires’ which make an appearance in the Holy Scripture when Peter denied Jesus and then when the Risen Lord appear to the disciples in the Lake of Tiberias and also on the command of Christ to the disciples to launch their net(s) to catch the fishes in the beginning of His ministry and after His resurrection.

Let us now meditate on verse 12 of the chapter- “Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast” (St John 21:12; NKJV) and on the Lord ‘s question to Simon Peter as well as Simon Peter’s responses (St John 21:15-17).

Several important events are recorded in the Holy Scripture about a fellowship meal involving our Lord Jesus Christ-A Man who fasted for forty days. Some examples include His first sign at the Wedding in Cana, meal at Zacchaeus’s house, at the home of Simon the Pharisee, at Martha and Mary’s residence, feeding the multitudes and of course the Last Supper. Each of the instances had a key take away learning.

For the tired, distressed and exhausted disciples, a sweet call from the Lord to have breakfast is what was the need of the hour. The disciples would have been too overwhelmed with experience of the horrible Crucifixion of the Lord and then an astonishing news of His resurrection. The call for breakfast, and the breakfast itself- for all its ‘ordinariness’ - it would have brought a sense of comfort for them.  Like the Last Supper, our Lord again serves the disciples- “Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish” (v13).

After the breakfast is over i.e. once the physical hunger is satiated, that our Lord turns to Simon Peter to quench his spiritual hunger for forgiveness. For Simon Peter’s affirmative answer to the Lord’s questions whether he loves Him; our Lord commands to Simon Peter.

‘Feed My lambs, Tend My sheep, Feed My sheep’.

John Achen and I had a blessed chance to undertake a pilgrimage to the Holy Land this Lenten season. We went to a place called Tabgha (meaning Seven Springs) wherein a small Franciscan chapel made of grey stone marks the site where the Risen Lord appeared to the disciples as noted in the Gospel of St John Chapter 21. The chapel contains a projection of limestone rock in front of the present altar which is venerated as a "Mensa Christi", Latin for ‘table of Christ’, believed to be the spot where Jesus is said to have laid out a breakfast of bread and fish for the Apostles.

Just couple of hundred meters away is the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes which is traditionally believed to be the place (St Mark 6:30-46).

Church of  the multiplication of loaves and fishes (Tabgha)

It is not mere coincidence that both the events that are so overpoweringly alike, happened so close.

At the Table of Christ, the disciples- and all of us- we are not only invited to be fed but are also commissioned to feed others as well.

It is again no coincidence that when Christ speaks of the time of his second coming that He sees the faithful servant as the one ‘who gives the household, food in due season’.

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.” (St Mathew 24:45-47; NKJV)

While we think of being called to serve and feed others or whenever we think of mission- the first and foremost thought that comes to our mind is to evangelize. True, as baptized Orthodox Christians, all of us are called to be evangelists, in the sense that we are called to bear witness to the fullness of the Gospel, the Good News of Christ and proclaim it to those who would hear it. 

The Orthodox mission is called ‘Liturgy after the Liturgy’.  In the Eucharistic celebration there are two complimentary movements, the first one begins as ascension toward the throne of God, toward the Kingdom and the second movement begins a return to the world. When we talk about Liturgy after the Liturgy, there cannot happen a Liturgy after Liturgy without a Liturgy coming first! To put it simply we cannot go out into the world and serve God and His people without first joining other people in the Eucharist. At the same time, we cannot keep our hands tied up after experiencing the Divine Eucharist.

Charity is the foremost important feature that our parishes insist during the Lenten period. We usually visit orphanages/institutions helping the needy, spend time with the inmates, pay our charity contributions (in money or kind) and leave (and will only remember them next Lenten season). I haven’t come across a case where we have shared a meal with them or for the fact we had food together with the downtrodden, needy, ostracized, or the orphaned.

Christ asks us to be fed and feed others; He sat with others- ate with them. He didn’t feed leftovers but served the best. How would we respond in action if we were asked, ‘Feed My sheep”?

In Christ,

Rincy

THE ‘NETS’ AND THE ‘NET’

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

The Holy Gospel reading for the first Sunday after New Sunday is from St John 21: 1-14. In the last blog, (link here- A Tale of Two Coal Fires) we read a contemplation on the ‘coal of fires’ which make an appearance in the Holy Scripture when Peter denied Jesus and then when the Risen Lord appear to the disciples in the Lake of Tiberias.

In this blog, we will contemplate on another aspect from the entire episode that would have brought bitter-sweet memories in the mind of Peter. The Holy Scripture verses are Gospel of St John 21: 3-6 and Gospel of St Luke 5:3-6. Let us read:

“Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”

They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”

They answered Him, “No.”

And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”” (St John 21:3-7; NKJV)

“….And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. (St Luke 5:3-6; NKJV)

The second biblical verse occurs at the beginning of our Lord’s ministry and the first one happens after His resurrection. When we carefully read the verses in St Luke 5:3-6, we note that Christ in the midst of his discourse to the multitude, asks Simon to ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

Simon responds that they toiled all night and caught nothing but since Jesus has commanded he will let down the net. Read the verses again.

Jesus asks Simon to let down the ‘nets’; not one net but many- the Lord knows it will be a great gain. Simon is perplexed- he toiled all night and caught nothing and here is a Carpenter telling a seasoned fisherman with an authoritative tone that he should now launch his nets. Simon isn’t hopeful; his faith isn’t 100% but he doesn’t want to disobey either.  Simon responds that for the sake of Jesus’s request he will let down the net though they caught nothing the whole night.

Jesus asked to let down the ‘nets’; Simon in half-hearted obedience agrees to let down the ‘net’.

The results were astonishing- the number of fishes caught were so huge that their net was breaking. Had Simon obeyed to let the nets (as Jesus commanded) instead of one net (per his knowledge and experience), perhaps the net wouldn’t have come to the point of breaking.

Roughly 3 years later, life comes a full circle for Simon Peter with a similar incident.

Simon Peter is still reeling in the guilt of denying his Lord even though he proclaimed that he would lay down his life for Him. Unsure of forgiveness, uncertain of his purpose and ministry, Simon sought to seek solace in the vocation that he abandoned for Jesus- fishing.

Again, the whole night he toiled relying on his skills as a fisherman but found nothing. The exhausted, guilt ridden, weary man only had to say a defeated ‘no’ alongwith other disciples when asked by Jesus if they had any food.

They again heard a familiar command- this time to launch the net on the right side. Something would have pierced Simon Peter’s heart when he heard it. They were asked to launch only a net this time reminding Simon Peter of his half-hearted obedience and hopelessness. He was hopeless then about the catch, he is unsure now of forgiveness.

 The story doesn’t end with despair- there is a blessing in the form of multitudes of fish. Lastly, the disciple whom Jesus loved tells Peter- ‘It is the Lord’!

How often in our limited understanding we doubt, ‘if this is possible with God’? The feast of Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ underlines the message of hope.  Our teacher the blessed St Paul distinguishes between the worldly sorrow and godly repentance: “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”(II Corinthians 7:10, NKJV). The worldly sorrow made Judas Iscariot hang himself however the godly sorrow led Peter to repentance. The worldly sorrow made Adam to hide himself from the Lord, but the godly sorrow made the prodigal son to return to his father.

There are many amongst us who need a helping hand, who are despaired, torn, defeated and like Simon arent sure of launching the nets. 

We all may not become great orators, spiritual leaders, counsellors etc but with a gentle nudge and with a ray of hope, we like the beloved disciple John, can definitely tell the broken ones- ‘Look unto the Lord’.

“But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31; NKJV)

In Christ,

Rincy