I have been a daily Mass goer ever since my Life in the Spirit Seminar in 1991. I can’t imagine not attending Mass and receiving communion. I struggled during the pandemic lockdowns. Yes, there were online Masses but I felt they weren’t enough. Then a friend invited me to a convent where live Masses were celebrated daily. I was allowed to join the nuns because they knew I was with The Feast. Of course, we observed proper protocols too.

At a time when the world seemed bleak and hopeless, the Lord made me feel and see Him in my life—with His Real Presence in the Eucharist no less!

How many times have we heard the line, “To see is to believe”? This is where faith comes into the picture: when we believe the things we do not yet see. But when we believe, just like the disciples in today’s reading, we will also see the wonders the Lord has in store for us. 

Adrian Panganiban (andresignatures@yahoo.com)

reflect

“The body and blood of the Lord is the source of our life, our energy, and our joy. So let’s eat and drink here and every day to our heart’s content and then let’s rush out into a starving world and tell everybody we meet, ‘Starving people, listen! We found where the food is!’” (Monsignor James Shea)

Jesus, continue to reveal Yourself to me at Mass, with every communion I receive. Amen.

St. Fulbert of Chartres, pray for us.

Peter is unwavering in his belief and refuses to back down. He is aware that the Jewish religious leaders are unhappy with his message. I know how Peter feels about the Gospel because I, too, am convinced of its truth, and thus I will never compromise it. Today, let us pray for the Church that she will be confident and clear about the truth of the Gospel and proclaim it at every opportunity. 

¹ After the crippled man had been cured, while Peter and John were still speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees confronted them, ² disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. ³ They laid hands on Peter and John and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening. ⁴ But many of those who heard the word came to believe and the number of men grew to about five thousand. ⁵ On the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes were assembled in Jerusalem, ⁶ with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly class. ⁷ They brought them into their presence and questioned them, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them, “Leaders of the people and elders: ⁹ If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, ¹⁰ 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; in his name this man stands before you healed. ¹¹ He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. ¹² There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”  

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 118:1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27

R: The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. ² Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” ⁴ Let those who fear the Lord say, “His mercy endures forever.” (R) ²² The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. ²³ By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. ²⁴ This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it. (R) ²⁵ O Lord, grant salvation! O Lord, grant prosperity! ²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the house of the Lord. ²⁷ The Lord is God, and he has given us light. (R)    

Gospel | John 21:1-14

Our memories about the things God has done in our lives convince us of the Gospel truth and strengthen our faith. We can turn to our memory in the midst of uncertainties to help us persevere through the challenges of life, while we await the next moment of grace. Let us be grateful for God’s grace, whether big or small, that build up our faith. 

Gospel Acclamation

This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

¹ Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. ² Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. ³ Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. ⁴ When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. ⁵ Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶ So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. ⁷ So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. ⁸ The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. ⁹ When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” ¹¹ So, Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹² Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.

Reflect

What core memory do you recall during your most difficult moments? 

How does remembering this help see you through?

Read the Bible in one year! Read LEVITICUS 4 - 6 today.

After the resurrection, we might expect the disciples to be full of excitement—instead, they return to fishing. Perhaps it was their way of coping with confusion or fear, or of simply holding on to something familiar. We often do the same—when lost or unsure, we fall back into old routines.

A teacher once shared that after losing her husband, she went back to teaching just a week later. When asked why, she replied, “I needed to do something that gave me a sense of purpose, even if it was routine.” Like the disciples fishing in the dark, she was looking for light amid grief.

In the darkness, a voice calls: “Children, have you caught anything?” It is Jesus, though unrecognized at first. Isn’t that our experience too? In the ordinary and the disappointing, Jesus is present, but we don’t always see Him. The turning point comes when the disciples obey. At His word, the nets are filled. Then, the beloved disciple exclaims, “It is the Lord!” Recognition doesn’t come from miracles alone, but through obedience and love.

I recall a student during a silent Eucharistic adoration. After a few quiet minutes, he whispered, “Father, I think Jesus is real.” Not because of a talk or a song, but because his heart had opened. He had cast his net, and Jesus filled it.

The breakfast Jesus shares with the disciples on the shore recalls the Eucharist: Jesus calls, prepares, and feeds. Like Peter and the others, we are also called from failure to communion, from darkness to mission. So today, hear Jesus say, “Come and eat.” Recognize Him again—in your routine, in your searching—and let Him fill your nets.

Fr. Joel Camaya, SDB

reflection questions

Have you ever experienced a quiet moment—perhaps during Eucharistic adoration or prayer—where you came to believe more deeply in Jesus’ presence? What stirred your heart?

Lord, in my darkness and routine, call to me. Open my heart to recognize You, and fill my emptiness with Your love. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ________________________________________