Easter Friday

COME AND EAT

In today's gospel (John 21:1-14), Jesus prepares breakfast for His disciples. Having fished all night without success, they are weary, frustrated and hungry. First Jesus directs Peter to throw the net over starboard, which results in a large haul. Then Jesus cooks up some fish. "Come," He says to His disciples, "and eat." What exquisite sensitivity to their needs! What delicate attention to their situation! Do we realize that Jesus treats us the same way? Each and every day He invites us, "Come and eat."

When are hearts are heavy with care and sorrow, when our bodies are weary with pain, when we feel we can't take one more step and just want to sit down and call it quits, Jesus says to us, "Come and eat."

When our days are drab and dreary and our nights dark and long, when our friends fail us and our enemies hound us, when we are distracted by the passing fancies of the world and can no longer pray, Jesus says to us, "Come and eat."

When our passions frighten us and our sins disgust us, when our lack of prog­ress and growth discourage us, when life over­whelms us and self-pity and resentment creep in, Jesus says to us, "Come and eat."

When nobody understands us, when our lives appear to be useless and we doubt our ability to make a difference in this world, when we wonder why life has to be the way it is, Jesus says to us, "Come and eat."

When the future looks bleak, when the unknown terrifies us, when fear and anxiety beset us, when our problems confound us, when peace eludes us, Jesus says to us, "Come and eat."

Knowing well the hungers of our human hearts, Jesus provides for them all, carefully, tenderly, lovingly. In His Word, He feeds us with His truth and wisdom. In the Eucharist, He feeds us with His body and blood. In the Sacrament of Penance, He feeds us with His forgiveness and healing. In our human relationships, He feeds us with His friendship and joy. In the Father's creation, He feeds us with His beauty and delight. Day after day, we hear Jesus say to us, "Come and eat." Let us feast with Him at the table of love He sets for us in our daily lives. Then we will proclaim as did the first disciples of Christ, with gratitude and joy, "It is the Lord!"

Thank You, dear Lord, for being wherever I go and for providing for all my needs. Amen! Alleluia!