Thanks so much for joining us for our reflections on the gospel of John!  Today is Day 51.  Find us on our website at www.markandkatiemartinez.com.

A Reflection on John 21:1-8

“Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” (v 6)

Another encounter with the Lord. Peter is so enthusiastic that he jumps from the boat just to be with Him that much sooner. He is alive, and He is here, with them on the beach of the Sea of Tiberias.

They had worked all night long, no doubt using all of their best efforts to produce a fruitful catch. Only their best efforts weren’t good enough. They produced nothing.

But what a difference Jesus makes. With one command, He produces a catch so fruitful it is almost too much for them.

Jesus can produce this fruit in us, too. On our own, we are like the apostles, working fruitlessly despite our best efforts. Sure, we can make some progress, but without Jesus, we will bear no fruit for eternity. We need His grace, His love, His power. God alone can raise the dead in our hearts; He alone can produce eternal fruit in us.

Like Peter, we must let our love for Jesus take precedence over all else. He set out for the task of fishing, but in the end, it was the desire to be with the Lord that sent him diving into the sea. We must cease to be wrapped up in our efforts of doing and seek to spend more time just being with God. And in that time, Jesus will bear fruit in us. He will cast the net wide in our souls, in our families, and in our Church, and He will bring about a great catch. May we see that this catch is less dependent on our own efforts and more dependent on our trust in Him.

Is there something in my life God wants me to stop doing so that I have more time to be with Him?

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, cast your net in me. Catch my heart for Jesus. Let me be totally His, that He may make of my life a great catch, and that all that I do will lead others back to Him. Amen.

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.