Daily Gospel for Friday, 25 April 2014

Daily Gospel for Friday, 25 April 2014

“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.’”—John 6:68

Easter Friday

Feast of the Church:

Friday in the Octave of Easter

This Friday we read John 21, 1-14.  Next to the Sea of Tiberias, "the net full of big fish" and the meal prepared by Jesus, we shall respond to the invitation: "Come and have breakfast".  Do we still need to ask: "Who are you?" We know it is the Lord.

Preface of Easter I

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, 

we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus christ our Lord.   

We praise you with greater joy than ever on this Easter day, 

when christ became our paschal sacrifice.    

He is the true Lamb who took away the sins of the world. 

By dying he destroyed our death; 

by rising he restored our life.   

And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven

we proclaim your glory!

Saints of the Day:

SAINT MARK

Evangelist

(1st century)

St. Mark was a companion of the Prince of the Apostles, whom he accompanied to Rome, acting there as his secretary or interpreter. When St. Peter was writing his first epistle to the churches of Asia, he affectionately joins with his own salutation that of his faithful companion, whom he calls "my son Mark."

The Roman people entreated St. Mark to put in writing for them the substance of St. Peter's frequent discourses on Our Lord's life. This the Evangelist did under the eye and with the express sanction of the apostle, and every page of his brief but graphic gospel so bore the impress of St. Peter's character, that the Fathers used to name it "Peter's Gospel"

St. Mark was now sent to Egypt to found the Church of Alexandria. Here his disciples became the wonder of the world for their piety and asceticism, so that St. Jerome speaks of St. Mark as the father of the anchorites, who at a later time thronged the Egyptian deserts. Here, too, he set up the first Christian school, the fruitful mother of many illustrious doctors and bishops.

After governing his see for many years, St. Mark was one day seized by the heathen, dragged by ropes over stones, and thrown into prison. On the morrow the torture was repeated, and having been consoled by a vision of angels and the voice of Jesus, St. Mark went to his reward.

It is to St. Mark that we owe the many slight touches which often give such vivid coloring to the Gospel scenes, and help us to picture to ourselves the very gestures and looks of our blessed Lord.

It is he alone who notes that in the temptation Jesus was "with the beasts;" that he slept in the boat "on a pillow;" that he "embraced" the little children.

He alone preserves for us the commanding words "Peace, be still!" by which the storm was quelled; or even the very sounds of his voice, the "Ephpheta" and "Talitha cumi," by which the dumb were made to speak and the dead to rise.

So, too, the "looking round about with anger," and the "sighing deeply," long treasured in the memory of the penitent apostle, who was himself converted by his Saviour's look, are here recorded by his faithful interpreter.

Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]

Easter Friday

Acts of the Apostles 4:1 As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them, 2 being upset because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 They laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was now evening. 4 But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

5 In the morning, their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest. 7 When they had stood them in the middle of them, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 if we are examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole. 11 He is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’[a] 12 There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”

Footnotes:

a. Acts 4:11 Psalm 118:22

Psalm 118:1 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,

    for his loving kindness endures forever.

2 Let Israel now say

    that his loving kindness endures forever.

4 Now let those who fear Yahweh say

    that his loving kindness endures forever.

22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.

23 This is Yahweh’s doing.

    It is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day that Yahweh has made.

    We will rejoice and be glad in it!

25 Save us now, we beg you, Yahweh!

    Yahweh, we beg you, send prosperity now.

26 Blessed is he who comes in Yahweh’s name!

    We have blessed you out of Yahweh’s house.

27 Yahweh is God, and he has given us light.

    Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 21:1 After these things, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.”

They told him, “We are also coming with you.” They immediately went out, and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing. 4 But when day had already come, Jesus stood on the beach, yet the disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus therefore said to them, “Children, have you anything to eat?”

They answered him, “No.”

6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”

They cast it therefore, and now they weren’t able to draw it in for the multitude of fish. 7 That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!”

So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around him (for he was naked), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits[a] away), dragging the net full of fish. 9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”

11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of great fish, one hundred fifty-three; and even though there were so many, the net wasn’t torn.

12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.”

None of the disciples dared inquire of him, “Who are you?” knowing that it was the Lord.

13 Then Jesus came and took the bread, gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples, after he had risen from the dead.

Footnotes:

a. John 21:8 200 cubits is about 100 yards or about 91 meters

Easter Friday

Commentary of the Day:

Benedict XVI, pope from 2005 to 2013

Homily for the paschal Vigil, 11/04/2009 (trans. © copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

"When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore"

But what is resurrection? It does not form part of our experience, and so the message often remains to some degree beyond our understanding, a thing of the past. The Church tries to help us understand it... in the language of symbols... During the Easter Vigil, the Church points out the significance of this day principally through three symbols: light, water, and the new song – the Alleluia.

First of all, there is light. God’s creation – which has just been proclaimed to us in the Biblical narrative – begins with the command: “Let there be light!” (Gn 1,3). Where there is light, life is born, chaos can be transformed into cosmos. In the Biblical message, light is the most immediate image of God: He is total Radiance, Life, Truth, Light. During the Easter Vigil, the Church reads the account of creation as a prophecy. In the resurrection, we see the most sublime fulfillment of what this text describes as the beginning of all things. God says once again: “Let there be light!” The resurrection of Jesus is an irruption of light. Death is conquered, the tomb is thrown open. The Risen One himself is Light, the Light of the world (Jn 8,12; 9,5). With the resurrection, the Lord’s day enters the nights of history. Beginning with the resurrection, God’s light spreads throughout the world and throughout history. Day dawns. This Light alone – Jesus Christ – is the true light, something more than the physical phenomenon of light. He is pure Light: God himself, who causes a new creation to be born in the midst of the old, transforming chaos into cosmos.

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