But then the women arrived to announce to the disciples that the tomb was empty and that He was risen. It's worth noting that according to the accounts that were written down about those first days, Peter is mentioned in almost every account.
It would seem that even though the first apparitions of Jesus happened on the day of the Resurrection, the disciples were still unsure about what to do next. They had been instructed to go to Jerusalem and to wait there for further instructions, but these were impatient folk. To be honest, they were probably still filled with doubts, and may very well have been concerned about making a living, therefore Peter declared to the rest of them: I'm going fishing (Jn 21:3). He (and perhaps they) had not yet understood that life would never be the same, now that they had had the chance to journey with the Lord.
We too sometimes become discouraged when we have to face difficult moments in life. When there are challenges, and we lose sight of the light of faith, we too can be tempted to want to return to our former way of life, but at times such as these, Jesus appears to us, like he did on the seashore that day. His apparition there that day was at first unrecognizable, but as he called to the disciples, they eventually recognized his voice. How often do we not recognize the moments in our lives when Jesus is calling to us? Thankfully, Jesus never stops calling until we do recognize him, until we respond.
When they finally recognized him, Peter put on some clothes (perhaps an echo of Adam and Eve in the Garden who recognized God's voice and then clothed themselves). It's equally true for us today; when we recognize God's voice gently calling to us, urging us to enter into a relationship of love with him, we too want to do our best (to clothe ourselves) to respond in faith.
Knowing that the disciples would still doubt, Jesus gave them more proof: Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something (Jn 21:6). When they did this - when they acted according to the guidance of the Lord, their catch was so abundant that they couldn't haul it in without help. This image always reminds me of my own tendency to believe that I can live life on my own, that I can respond to the needs of others based on my own generosity or my own strength. However, it also reminds me that such a belief is faulty, because it is God who gives us the strength to respond to the calls for help that come from others. It is God who strengthens us so that we can continue to demonstrate his mercy, his forgiveness and his peace to others.
Eventually, because the disciples learned this lesson, they were able to speak with faith and conviction. The excerpt from the Acts of the Apostles proposed for today's Mass relates Peter's speech in presence of Annas, Caiaphus, the leaders of the Temple, scribes and elders. Peter - the same disciple who had denied having known Jesus, the same disciple who had been muted by fear that he too would end up nailed to a cross, was strengthened and reassured in his faith by the encounter on the seashore (and other such encounters). Because of the confidence he developed, and because of the gift of the Spirit, he was able to speak boldly to the same authorities who had condemned Jesus. Without the strength of his faith, he may well have remained in hiding, but with it, he was strengthened: Leaders of the people and elders, if we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead ...
We too walk in the light of the Risen Christ. We too are strengthened in our faith by Jesus who meets us in the midst of our daily routines, feeding us with the bread of life. All he asks of us is that we should cast the nets, proclaiming joyfully the good deeds we ourselves have witnessed. He will do the rest!
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