come, have breakfast

This is one of my favorite readings for an early morning daily Mass in the week following Easter.  Jesus appears to his disciples for the third time following his resurrection.  They are fishing and have caught nothing all night.  He calls them and tells them to throw the nets on the other side.  They do, and their nets are filled to overflowing.

Jesus is waiting for them on the shore with a charcoal fire.  I love that detail.  He says to the disciples, "Come, have breakfast, " and proceeds to serve them fish (grilled over a charcoal fire, no less) and bread.   And at Mass, each morning, he invites us to "come, have breakfast".  Not fish and bread or ham and eggs, but the gift of Himself.  An awesome way to start the day.

The homily was about the ways that Jesus reveals himself to us in our lives.  How does He come to us?  It might be in the letting go of guilt from a sin that has been forgiven long ago.  It might be in the strength to endure a difficult situation.   It might be in giving of ourselves to meet the needs of others.  It might be in the giving or receiving of mercy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On a side note, I have decided that I would do well to pray that when the Good Lord takes me, it is not during Holy Week or the week following Easter.  The poor priests are so busy during Holy Week, and no Masses other than the Triduum celebrations seem to be celebrated from Thursday through Sunday.  Then the week after, it seems like the majority, go into hibernation somewhere - to recover, no doubt.  Today (Friday) was the first Mass at my parish since Easter Sunday.