Commentary on the Gospel of
Today the Gospel brings us to the lake, where Simon Peter and his partners James and John are listening to Jesus after a hard night’s fishing. This communal experience is a brilliant image of the life of the Church and, at the same time, the life of the Church is the development of this scene.
Why? Because many times the hard work of the Church is that path walked during the nights of the world. Because the fishing we do is not related with fishes, but with people who are waiting to be born again. Because our acts are always insufficient without the presence of Jesus, but when he is among us we are able to heal, speak with truth, and change our little worlds. And, specifically in this time, because it’s necessary to keep in mind that the responsibilities of people in the Church (Peter, James and John, in the Gospel reading; Paul, Apollos and Cephas, in the first reading; bishops, theologians, founders, leaders of small Christian communities or of charismatics movements, in the “current reading”), are always possible because God is beside us.
For that, do be aware whether we discover any sort of theological discussion without a spiritual approach. Do be aware whether in our debates about the “Mass ad Orientem”, about the “Extraordinary Form of the Mass” or whatever liturgical topic, we often adopt a cold and stiff position, forgetting that God is always beside, and that we all –including our theologians–, “belong to Christ, and Christ is of God” (1 Cor 3:23).
