Homily: May 1, 2022, Third Sunday of Easter

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 Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”

My mummy cooked our family meals the traditional Indian way, preparing all ingredients from base, and using firewood. She spent most of her time in the kitchen cooking for her seven children. She had to work in the family farm too. Yet, every day at every mealtime, when her cooking is done, she would call out to all of us, “come and eat”.

Even when we did not behave well or were naughty, even when she was angry and upset with us, when the food was ready, mummy would call. She must have called out to us over thousands of times till the day she was laid to rest. My mummy’s mealtime invitations still echo clearly in my heart.

Another Indian tradition, my mummy never sat to eat with us when we had guests. she had to wait till we, including papa and the guests are done with our meal before she had her meal. My mummy always made sure we are fed well. That was how she showed love.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28.

Before He died, Jesus served. After He resurrected, Jesus continues to serve.

“Come, have breakfast.”

Before this Gospel account, Jesus had already appeared to the disciples twice. And they have come to believe fully that Jesus is Lord and God. But what are they to do with their lives from there on? When will Jesus appear to them again?

Not knowing the answers, Simon Peter decided to go fishing, something he was doing in life before he met Jesus, something he was doing without success when Jesus called him. This time he failed again. They fished the whole night but caught nothing, until Jesus appeared.

Jesus already prepared the charcoal fire, the fish and bread. He knew His disciples would go fishing. How long had He been there,  waiting for them to give up trying on their own and coming to shore to receive His help?

When the disciples followed Jesus’ suggestion, they caught a lot of fish. It was a good catch of 153 big fish. Bible scholars explained that in ancient times, people believed the world had 153 species of fish. The disciples’ catch thus represented the whole world. On their own, they caught nothing. Following Jesus’ lead, they brought in the whole world. So, what did Jesus say to them?

“Come, have breakfast.”

He was not concerned about their big catch, He didn’t talk about their long night of failure, He didn’t ask about their past week. He knew everything. He just wanted them be fed. He just wanted to be with them. He knew they would catch a lot of fish finally, but He already cooked fish for them. He wanted to serve them His fish, His bread.

Everyday Jesus prepares a good meal for us and He invites us to ‘come, eat, drink’. No matter how badly we have failed in life, or what big success we have achieved, or how sinful our past had been, He invites us. He knows everything but He simply wants to feed us. He wants to give us His bread of life, His wine of love.

He doesn’t need anything from us, He just wants us to come and be fed. “Come, have breakfast”. This is an open invitation.

This is our God, who loves every single one of us unconditionally and endlessly. He asked Simon Peter, “Do you love me?” and commanded him, “Feed my sheep.”

Jesus fed His disciples and then commanded Simon Peter, the rock of His Church, to feed the rest of the world. And that is what the Church does.

If you have ever tried searching for live streamed Mass during Covid times, you might have noticed that every minute, day and night, there is a Holy Mass being celebrated somewhere in the world. The consecration of bread and wine into the sacred Body and Blood of Christ happens round the clock throughout the world. He gives Himself freely and totally, every minute, every day, through the Church.

Saint Padre Pio said, “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do so without the Holy Mass.”

If you love Jesus, come and have breakfast which He prepares for you every day. Tell others about this open invitation and bring someone with you to share the meal. Amen.

Fr. Nivin Scaria 

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