Deacon Brigid Waszczak

A post Resurrection appearance of Jesus:

… Peter, [John], and… other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” …Peter told them… they went out… but that night… caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out… “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul… [a] large number of fish.

… the disciple whom Jesus loved [John] said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as… Peter heard him… [he] jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish… When they landed, they saw a fire… with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said…“Come and have breakfast.” None… dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew… Jesus… took the bread and gave it to them…
—John 21:2-9, 12

Sisters and Brothers,

“Breakfast on the Beach” is a familiar post-Resurrection story.

Initially, the disciples were unaware the stranger calling to them was Jesus. But the overabundance of fish was the miracle tip-off for John who realized this stranger was Jesus.

Impetuous Peter hurriedly sloshed through shallow water to shore. If the disciples needed more proof of who was frying fish for them, Jesus took bread, broke it, and gave it to them as he had at the Last Supper.

The grief-stricken disciples were highly stressed. No wonder they didn’t recognize Jesus.

A close friend of mine once was also under extreme stress. We spoke daily; we saw each other at either her or my house several times a week. But, when I ran into her outside the supermarket, she walked right past me.

“Susan,” I called. She looked at me blankly. She had no idea who I was. After several minutes of my saying her name over and over, she finally recognized me. Then she dissolved into tears and fell into my arms.

My showing up in a different setting and out of context kept her from seeing me. The strain she was under temporarily blinded her.

Have you had the experience of not recognizing a friend in a different setting or of a friend not realizing who you are when you’re standing in front of her?

Stress and strain impair our ability to think and see clearly. To some degree, we’re all currently living with anxiety.

I wonder what or who I miss because I’m caught in fearful thoughts impacting my awareness and vision.

I pray Jesus calls us as he did the disciples at the beach out of our unease and reminds us that His Resurrection restored our hope.

May it be so.

—Deacon Brigid