Appearance to the Disciples by the Sea of Tiberias
Genesis1:20-23
Hebrews 13:18-25
John 21:1-14
“Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good so that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.” - Hebrews 13:20
The gospel of this Sunday is most fitting for these momentous days. Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, has heard the cries of the Church, and has given her a Pope. We are filled with the joy of Easter as we behold our new white father, Pope Leo XIV. This is the mind of Christ, to not leave his sheep without a shepherd. Not content in simply saving us by His suffering and death, Christ has willed to establish a Church to transmit to all the ages His saving sacrifice. Before His Ascension into Heaven, and before the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, He chose to manifest His will by providing for His Church, a government of the faithful, by appointing Peter to be the Head of the Church, and His Vicar on earth. The accounts of Sacred Scripture could not be clearer.
The gospel of this Sunday recounts that a small group of disciples elected to go fishing with Peter. What a thrill for them! Not only did they catch an enormous sum of fish, but with delirious joy, they meet the risen Christ, standing on the shore and making them breakfast.
We want always to go fishing with Peter. Only in Peter’s boat will we find fish and only in Peter’s boat will we discover Christ calling us to himself. The gospel account tells us that Peter was stripped to work, this reminds us that we may see the weakness of Peter, and so some may be scandalised. But we should never doubt that Peter is the one chosen by Christ to be his representative. We must always remain faithfully inside Peter’s boat to share in the abundance of Christ’s blessings and fruitfulness.
Under Pope Leo, we Maronites rejoice in our historic loyalty to the chair of Peter.
From each Maronite heart, in these historic days, I urge you to repeat this beautiful prayer which is so sweet to the consider: All with Peter, to Jesus, through Mary!
+Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus