Reflection by Kevin Woodhouse, College Director of Catholic Identity, St Francis Xavier College, The Fall of Jerusalem in 70CE is seen by biblical scholars such as Frank Moloney and Raymond Brown as a pivotal moment in the development of the Early Church. By destroying the Jewish Temple renovated by King Herod the Great, the Romans increased their control over the people of Judea. As is the case with the experience of oppression and change in the Jewish Tradition, this led to deep reflection and renewal of thinking and practice. With no temple worship, Pharisaic Judaism became the way to be Jewish. This took some time to implement. Jewish groups who believed that Jesus was the messiah were no longer accepted in places of worship, they were in fact excommunicated from the Jewish religion. We can see this conflict in the first reading where the apostles are ordered by the Jewish leaders of the time not to preach about Jesus. Peter’s embrace of discipleship, following Jesus’ model, is a source of joy for the apostles and the Early Church.
It was important then, for the early writers to show that Jesus was part of God’s plan for the world. By building on the imagery and promises revealed through the Jewish Tradition, the choice to follow Jesus was shown to be a legitimate one. In the second reading from the Book of the Apocalypse, John places Jesus as the one to be worshiped – the lamb, on the throne, ‘glory and power for ever and ever.’ This choice to follow him meant suffering and exclusion, but also joyful connection to him who showed the way.
As always, there are many levels of meaning in the Johannine resurrection narrative involving Peter and Jesus in today’s Gospel. The Sea of Galilee is a beautiful place. Blue lake on a clear day, embraced by gentle, rolling hills. When I visited in 2012, I couldn’t wait to dive into the water. I wanted to experience the Peter effect. Not seeing Jesus and then seeing Jesus. Swim to the shore. Hesitation, doubt, defensiveness, embrace, hospitality, challenge, hope, death. ‘Follow me’. All experiences of life following Jesus. Encountering Jesus the lamb disarms our doubts, fills our dreams for the future, gives courage, direction and energy for life. The resurrected Jesus unites past present and future through moments of grace such as these. All we need to do is ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught,’ in other words, bring ourselves! May these moments of encounter, through doubt or joy, flow through us today, moving us closer to ‘the One’.
