Homily – April 17, 2009 – Octave of Easter - Friday

We continue today the celebration of Easter Day for the sixth time: every day within the octave of a solemnity is celebrated as if it were the solemnity itself. This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it!

In the gospel passage today the risen Jesus appears at the lakeside to several of the fisherman Apostles. Then he causes a miraculous catch of fish to happen – which mirrors an earlier catch of fish he caused to happen when he told them that they would soon become fishers of men. It is almost time for them to take on that new task – but for now it is important for them just to BELIEVE that the Lord is truly risen from the dead and that Jesus, Son of Man; is now also Christ, the glorified Son of God.

Jesus invites them to come and have breakfast with him on the shore of the lake. And they were fed with bread and fish, reminiscent of another miraculous feeding of 5000 – the two symbols of Eucharist. This risen Jesus, by his own word, is spiritual food for all our spiritual needs.

In the first reading today we see that Peter and John – at a later time – after Pentecost – after the curing of the cripple in the name of the risen Jesus – are empowered by the Holy Spirit to defend their actions, which are causing quite a stir among the people: 5000 of the Jews are coming to believe that Jesus truly is the stone rejected which has become the cornerstone of an entire structure – a spiritual structure. This structure of course would be the Church which is now in its very early infant stage.

The name of Jesus is powerful indeed! It ought first of all to be respected with great reverence, respect and awe; and it ought to be used for what it can now be used: to cause powerful and wonderful things to happen for the upbuilding of the community of believers: the Church, which he was instrumental in launching into the deep of the sea of the rough world!

Salvation does not come from anyone else; nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved!

All hail the name of Jesus! Let every knee bend in heaven and earth at its sound.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.