Jesus cooks Breakfast

From the desk of Fr. Ignatius Waters, cp

Sunday, 5th May 2019

Today Jesus cooks breakfast. I’m sure he often did. It’s just that today we hear about it. Without him, the apostles were at a loose end. They decided to go back to what they knew something about – fishing! But they weren’t great at that either. All night they caught nothing. Jesus, standing by the shore in the early morning light, could see where the fish were. Apparently to this day, it is easier to see where the fish are from the shore than from the boat! So following his directions, they catch so many fish they can’t haul the net in. It’s only then they recognise it’s Jesus and, as they come closer to shore, they see he has a fire burning and he has bread and he’s cooking fish. Was he doing some fishing of his own? Jesus says, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just  caught.” And Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore full of big fish; and despite there’re being so many, the net was not broken. And Jesus said, “Come and have breakfast.”

What a happy breakfast that must have been! The toasted bread and the fresh fish would have been delicious after the long night. What did they have to drink? The gospel doesn’t say. No doubt they were drinking in the whole wonder of having Jesus with them again, looking at the wounds in his hands and feet, noticing how he’s the same Jesus they knew so well and yet he’s different; wondering is he angry with them for their cowardice and betrayal. Yet, he’s cooking breakfast for them! He’s the same thoughtful, practical, loving man he was before. Before? They don’t want to think about before! But it’s almost as if nothing had happened; maybe the breakfast is Jesus’ way of saying, “It’s o.k. I understand you; you like to think you’re strong and tough but no one’s that tough when it comes to it! You know that now and that’s great learning. From now on you’ll know it’s not a problem to be weak and flawed. Maybe you didn’t realise it up to now. My Father can use you best when you don’t let your imagined strength or intelligence get in the way; when you realise your weakness does not disqualify you either. If it did, there would be no one in the Kingdom of God!”

We are all struggling towards the great Christian ideals. We should know now, if we didn’t before, that the church is not an exclusive, perfect society. We have mighty ideals but each of us is a work in progress and always will be. Being inclusive doesn’t mean lowering those ideals but it means welcoming people where they are! Part of people’s anger with the church is that they were made to feel unworthy and unwanted; they were met with rules and rigidity rather than with understanding and compassion.