In our First Reading today, we see the boldness of Peter as he encounters the Pharisees. He gives confident witness of the power of his Lord’s Resurrection to restore the crippled man.

This is a very different Peter from today’s Gospel. We meet Peter who still relied on the Lord. It almost seems comical. The Risen Lord appeared to his disciples, breathed the Holy Spirit on all of them, made a believer out of Thomas … and then …. Peter says, “I am going fishing.”

What? They returned to their normal lives after all these events transpired. They returned to the Sea of Tiberias as if there was nothing better to do, and go fishing.

Pope Francis comments on this scene,

They seem to take a step backwards; Peter takes up the nets he had left behind for Jesus. The weight of suffering, disappointment, and of betrayal had become like a stone blocking the hearts of the disciples. They were still burdened with pain and guilt, and the good news of the resurrection had not taken root in their hearts … This is the tomb psychology that tinges everything with dejection and leads us to indulge in a soothing sense of self-pity that, like a moth, eats away at all our hope. Then the worst thing that can happen to any community begins to appear – the grim pragmatism of a life in which everything appears to proceed normally, while in reality faith is wearing down and degenerating into small-mindedness. 

Jesus strengthens his disciples from his Resurrection to his Ascension. During his time with them, he builds the Church. In this in-between moment, they go fishing. Jesus calls them παιδία (paidia), which is a diminutive form of little child. It is the only time in the accounts that Jesus calls his disciples little children. This moment will strengthen them to build the Church from reliance to boldness. Jesus calls out to them and their different temperaments are on full display. St. John Chrysostom comments,

“when they recognized Him, the disciples Peter and John again exhibited the peculiarities of their several tempers. The one was more fervent, the other more lofty; the one more keen, the other more clear-sighted. On this account John first recognized Jesus, Peter first came to Him” (Homily 87 on the Gospel of John, 2)

They come to Jesus to have fish and bread for breakfast. In this moment, Jesus is forming his Church and the fish remind his disciples of their first call to be fishers of men. The bread is the call to be a Eucharistic Church.

Jesus calls us little children. He is ever patient with us, guiding to return to bold faith through Eucharist and vocation. In this octave, let us not be afraid. Renew love for him as we move from reliance to boldness.