Daily Reflections - April 5,2013

IT IS THE LORD!

 

During his installation as Archbishop of Manila on December 12, 2011, Archbishop Chito Tagle preached in moving words about today’s Gospel. When he was ordained as bishop 10 years earlier, he had chosen the motto, “Dominus Est” (“It is the Lord”), the key word in today’s Gospel.

In his homily, he made us aware that of the seven disciples in the boat, one had betrayed the Lord, one had doubted the Lord, one had made a nasty remark when he heard Jesus came from Nazareth, two had been very ambitious and two were anonymous. “Doubters and unknowns, they represent the Church at its infancy,” he said. “Together they were the fragile Church embarking on its mission.” Only after following the words of the “stranger” standing at the shore did they finally catch plenty of fish. And it is then that the beloved disciple recognized the Lord in the stranger. At this moment, the disciple whom Jesus loved exclaimed, “It is the Lord.” The eyes of the beloved disciple were opened. His stare moved from the catch to the loving presence in their midst. This man is not a stranger. He is the loving Lord. The long dark night is over; morning has come.

Yesterday, we reflected on the unseen presence of Christ in our lives. Today, when we read that the beloved disciple is the one who first recognizes the Lord, we realize that what makes us recognize the Lord in our lives is love. When we see Christ only as a figure on crucifixes and pictures, or only someone whom we know about from Catechism or from the Bible, we will not recognize Him. More important than to know about Him is to know Him personally and so come to love Him. This we achieve through prayer — in conversation with Him — and through our daily realization of His constant love for us, as often shown in ordinary daily life events.

When we focus on the “empty nets,” or the negative things in life, we will never be able to love and recognize Him as the beloved disciple did, who focused first on the “abundant catch.” Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: How can you advance in your love for Christ?                                                                 

 

Lord, I have read a lot about You but maybe I don’t know You enough personally. Increase my love for You so that I may feel Your presence even more in my daily life.