Friday, April 21, 2006

Third Time

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. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead. John 21:12-14

Each time Jesus appeared to those who knew him and loved him, never saw him as he was before. Who are you, they wanted to ask. Yet we hear through their testimony this man knew them and what was taught to them. We are seeing the many faces of Jesus after his resurrection. How he appears to his apostles physically each time differently, yet they recognize him by the breaking of bread only. Today we have a set visual of what we see as the face of Jesus, the face before resurrection. How is it then that he kept appearing in a different facial form to the apostles? What purpose then was this for? Was it to help us understand that he will appear in like manner to us, only to recognize him in the breaking of bread too. How will we recognize him today, just as the apostles did not recognize him then, will we know? Will our faith be what allows us to see the truth of Jesus' countenance. Since He is Risen, will we be able to recognize him in the Eucharist, after all, three times it was in the breaking of bread that he was recognized. And in like manner the fish. God Bless

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