Easter Wednesday: On this day Our Lord wrought the miracle of the 153 fishes.
Part II : Six Illustrations of Christ’s Appearances after the Resurrection
+ Christ Appears on the Shores of Lake Tiberias
+ Peter Casts Himself into the Sea
+ The Second Miraculous Draught of Fishes
+ Christ Eating with His Disciples
+ Feed My Sheep
Christ Appears on the Shores of Lake Tiberias
St. John Chapter 21: 4-7: “But when the morning was come, Jesus stood on the shore: yet the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus therefore said to them: ‘Children, have you any meat?’ They answered him: ‘No.’
“He saith to them: ‘Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and you shall find.’ They cast therefore; and now they were not able to draw it, for the multitude of fishes.”
Tissot’s Commentary:
Saint Peter Casts Himself into the Sea
St. John Chapter 21: 7-8: “That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved, said to Peter: ‘It is the Lord.’ Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, girt his coat about him, (for he was naked,) and cast himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the ship, (for they were not far from the land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.”
The Second Miraculous Draught of Fishes
St. John Chapter 21:9-11: “As soon then as they came to land, they saw hot coals lying, and a fish laid thereon, and bread. 10: Jesus saith to them: ‘Bring hither of the fishes which you have now caught.’
“Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of great fishes, one hundred and fifty-three. And although there were so many, the net was not broken.”
Christ Eating with His Disciples
St. John Chapter 21:Jesus saith to them: ‘Come, and dine.’ And none of them who were at meat, durst ask him: Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. And Jesus cometh and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish in like manner. This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to his disciples, after he was risen from the dead.
Feed My Sheep
St. John Chapter 21: 15-19: “When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter: ‘Simon son of John, lovest thou me more than these?’ He saith to him: ‘Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.’ He saith to him: ‘Feed my lambs.’
“He saith to him again: ‘Simon, son of John, lovest thou me?’ He saith to him: ‘Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.’ He saith to him: ‘Feed my lambs.’ He said to him the third time: ‘Simon, son of John, lovest thou me?’ Peter was grieved, because he had said to him the third time: ‘Lovest thou me?’ And he said to him: ‘Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee.’ He said to him: ‘Feed my sheep. Amen, amen I say to thee, when thou wast younger, thou didst gird thyself, and didst walk where thou wouldst. But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and lead thee whither thou wouldst not. ‘ And this he said, signifying by what death he should glorify God.’ And when he had said this, he saith to him: ‘Follow me.'”
Douay Rheims Commentary: “‘Feed my sheep’: Our Lord had promised the spiritual supremacy to St. Peter; St. Matt. 16. 19; and here he fulfills that promise, by charging him with the superintendency of all his sheep, without exception; and consequently of his whole flock, that is, of his own church.”
Tissot Commentary:
Tissot’s commentary is taken from The life of Our Saviour Jesus Christ; three hundred and sixty-five compositions from the four Gospels, with notes and explanatory drawings by J. James Tissot; notes tr. by Mrs. Arthur Bell (N. d’Anvers). New York, The McClure-Tissot Company, 1899, courtesy of HathiTrust at this permanent link. HathiTrust is a collaborative library initiative and states, “We have determined this work to be in the public domain, meaning that it is not subject to copyright. Users are free to copy, use, and redistribute the work in part or in whole.”
Images are downloaded from the Brooklyn Museum, which owns the illustrations and where the following disclaimer is found: “RIGHTS STATEMENT No known copyright restrictions.”
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