Sunday’s Reflection: This passage is full of rich details, isn’t it? Nathanael is from Cana; maybe he was the groom of the wedding? Peter is naked. The fire is a charcoal fire, not a wood fire. The number of fish is 153. We also know the story takes place early in the morning, which is the best time to catch fish. But none of these details is as important as the answer Jesus seeks: “Do you love me?” “Feed my sheep.” “Follow me.”

In Matthew 28:16 Jesus told the disciples to go to Galilee to wait for Him. Perhaps while they were waiting, they decided to pass the time fishing, since they didn’t know how long it would be until Jesus  came. Another possibility is that they are simply returning to their old lives. They were spending time together in common life, not only at religious meetings, which is good.

There is an important lesson for us to learn here. The things that are impossible with people are possible with God. Just like the disciples, we must learn to rely on God for everything and not our own wisdom, expertise, or strength. When we do ministry, we must rely on God. When we share the gospel, we must rely on God. We must rely on God for our salvation and for everything spiritual. We cannot be successful in anything without God’s help, even the things we consider we are the best at.

But notice that Jesus gave the disciples and us, not only Peter, but a job to do. Jesus said, “Feed my lambs, Tend my sheep, and Feed my sheep.”

The gospel today ended with these words, “Follow me.” What should you do? What should we do?