Friday

Octave of Easter

1st Reading: Acts 4:1-12

Peter and John Are Arrested
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[1] And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of
the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, [2] annoyed because they
were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the
dead. [3] And they arrested them and put them in custody until the morrow,
for it was already evening. [4] But as many of those who heard the word
believed; and the number of men came to about five thousand.

Address to the Sanhedrin
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[5] On the morrow their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together
in Jerusalem, [6] with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexan-
der, and all who were of the high-priestly family. [7] And when they had set them
in the midst, they inquired, "But what power or by what name did you do this?"
[8] Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and
elders, [9] if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a
cripple, by what means this man has been healed, [10] be it known to you all,
and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man is stan-
ding before you well. [11] This is the stone which was rejected by you builders,
but which has become the head of the corner. [12] And there is salvation in no
one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which
we must be saved."

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Commentary:

1-4. On the Sadducee sect see the note on Matthew 3:7.

In this chapter St. Luke reports on the first conflict between the Apostles and
the Jerusalem authorities. Despite the incident at the end of Peter's address,
his words are still an instrument of grace, stirring his listeners to believe and
moving them to love.

A large crowd gathered round Peter after the curing of the cripple, which brings
on the scene the "captain of the temple", a priest second in line to the high
priest whose function it was to maintain order. The priests St. Luke refers to
here would have been those who were on for this particular week and were
responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the temple.

5-7. These three groups--rulers, elders, scribes--made up the Sanhedrin, the
same tribunal as had recently judged and condemned our Lord (cf. note on
Matthew 2:4). Jesus' words are already being fulfilled: "A servant is not greater
than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you" (John 15:20).

Annas was not in fact the high priest at this time, but the title was applied to
him along with Caiaphas because of the authority he still wielded: he had
been high priest and five of his sons succeeded him in the office, as well as
Caiaphas, his son-in-law (cf. Josephus, "Jewish Antiquities", XX, 198f).

8-12. The Apostles' confidence and joy is quite remarkable, as is their out-
spokenness in asserting that "we cannot but speak of what we have seen
and heard" (verse 20). "This is the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Christians who let themselves be browbeaten or become inhibited or envious
in the face of the licentious behavior of those who do not accept the Word of
God, show that they have a very poor idea of the faith. If we truly fulfill the
law of Christ--that is, if we make the effort to do so, for we will not always
fully succeed--we will find ourselves endowed with a wonderful gallantry of
spirit" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 38).

Christians have a duty to confess their faith where silence would mean its
implicit denial, disrespect for religion, an offense against God or scandal to
their neighbor. Thus Vatican II: "Christians should approach those who are
outside wisely, 'in the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech' (2 Corinthians
6:6-7), and should strive, even to the shedding of their blood, to spread the
light of life with all confidence (Acts 4:29) and apostolic courage. The disciple
has a grave obligation to Christ, his Master, to grow daily in his knowledge of
the truth he has received from Him, to be faithful in announcing it and vigorous
in defending it" ("Dignitatis Humanae", 14).

Pope Paul VI asked Catholics to check on any weak points in their faith, inclu-
ding ignorance and human respect, "that is, shame or timidness in professing
their faith. We are not speaking of that discretion or reserve which in a pluralist
and profane society like ours avoids certain signs of religion when with others.
We are referring to weakness, to failure to profess one's own religious ideas
for fear of ridicule, criticism or others' reactions [...] and which is a cause --
perhaps the main cause--of the abandonment of faith by people who simply
conform to whatever new environment they find themselves in" ([Pope] Paul
VI, "General Audience", 19 June 1968).

8. Even in the very early days of Christianity Jesus' prediction is borne out:
"Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils.... When they deliver
you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for
what you are to say will be given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak,
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matthew 10:17-20).

10. "Whom God raised from the dead": St. Peter once again bears witness
to the Resurrection of Jesus, the central truth of apostolic preaching; he uses
here the same words as he did at Pentecost. These are compatible with our
holding that Jesus "rose by His own power on the third day" ([Pope] Paul VI,
"Creed of the People of God", 12). The power by which Christ rose was that
of His divine person, to which both His soul and His body remained joined
even after death separated them. "The divine power and operation of the
Father and of the Son is one and the same; hence it follows that Christ rose
by the power of the Father and by His own power" (St. Thomas Aquinas,
"Summa Theologiae", III, q. 53, a. 4).

"By the word 'Resurrection'," the "St. Pius V Catechism" explains, "we are not
merely to understand that Christ was raised from the dead, which happened to
many others, but that He rose by His own power and virtue, a singular preroga-
tive peculiar to Him alone. For it is incompatible with nature and was never given
to man to raise himself by his own power, from death to life. This was reserved
for the almighty power of God. [...] We sometimes, it is true, read in Scripture
that He was raised by the Father; but this refers to Him as man, just as those
passages on the other hand, which say that He rose by His own power, relate
to Him as God" (I, 6, 8).

11. St. Peter applies the words of Psalm 118:22 to Jesus, conscious no doubt
that our Lord had referred to Himself as the stone rejected by the builders which
had become the cornerstone, the stone which keeps the whole structure together
(cf. Matthew 21:42 and par.).

12. Invocation of the name of Jesus is all-powerful because this is our Savior's
own name (cf. note on Matthew 1:21). Our Lord Himself told His Apostles this:
"If you ask anything of the Father, He will give it to you in My name" (John 16:23),
and they, trusting in this promise, work miracles and obtain conversions "in the
name of Jesus". Today--as ever--the power of His name will work wonder in the
souls of those who call upon Him. Monsignor Escriva gives this advice: "Don't be
afraid to call our Lord by His name--Jesus--and to tell Him that you love Him"
("The Way", 303); and the Liturgy of the Hours invites us to pray: "God our Father,
You are calling us to prayer, at the same hour as the Apostles went up to the
temple. Grant that the prayer we offer with sincere hearts in the name of Jesus
may bring salvation to all who call upon that holy name" (Week 1, Monday after-
noon).
　

Gospel Reading: John 21:1-14

The Miraculous Draught of Fish
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[1] After this Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples by the Sea of
Tiberias; and He revealed Himself in this way. [2] Simon Peter, Thomas called
the Twin, Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of
His disciples were together. [3] Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."
They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat;
but that night they caught nothing.

[4] Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did
not know that it was Jesus. [5] Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any
fish?" They answered Him, "No." [6] He said to them, "Cast the net on the
right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they
were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. [7] That disciple whom Jesus
loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the
Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the
sea. [8] But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish,
for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

[9] When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying
on it, and bread. [10] Jesus said to them, "Bring some fish that you have just
caught." [11] So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of
large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many,
the net was not torn. [12] Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast."
Now none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are you?" They knew it was
the Lord. [13] Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with
he fish. [14] This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disci-
ples after He was raised from the dead.

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Commentary:

1-3. There are some very significant things in this account: we find the disciples
"by the Sea of Tiberias", which means they have done what the risen Christ had
told them to do (cf. Matthew 28:7); they are together, which shows that there is
a close fraternity among them; Peter takes the initiative, which in a way shows
his authority; and they have gone back to their old jobs as fishermen, probably
waiting for our Lord to give them new instructions.

This episode is reminiscent of the first miraculous draught of fish (cf. Luke
5:1-11), where our Lord promised Peter He would make him a fisher of men;
now He is going to confirm his mission as visible head of the Church.

4-8. The risen Jesus goes in search of His disciples, to encourage them and
tell them more about the great mission He has entrusted to them. This account
describes a very moving scene, our Lord together with His own: "He passes by,
close to His Apostles, close to those souls who have given themselves to Him,
and they do not realize He is there. How often Christ is not only near us, but
in us; yet we still live in such a human way!... They, the disciples, recall what
they have heard so often from their Master's lips: fisher of men, apostles. And
they realize that all things are possible, because it is He who is directing their
fishing.

"Whereupon 'the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord!' Love,
love is farsighted. Love is the first to appreciate kindness. The adolescent
Apostle, who felt a deep and firm affection for Jesus, because he loved Christ
with all the purity and tenderness of a heart that had never been corrupted,
exclaimed: 'It is the Lord!'"

"'When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes and
sprang into the sea.' Peter personifies faith. Full of marvelous daring, he
leaps into the sea. With a love like John's and a faith like Peter's, what is
there that can stop us?" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 265-266).

9-14. We can sense here the deep impression this appearance of the risen
Jesus must have made on the Apostles, and how sweet a memory St. John
kept of it. After His resurrection Jesus showed the same tenderness as
characterized His public ministry. He makes use of natural things--the
fire, the fish, etc.--to show that He really is there, and He maintains the
familiar tone typical of when He lived with the disciples.

The Fathers and Doctors of the Church have often dwelt on the mystical
meaning of this episode: the boat is the Church, whose unity is symbolized
by the net which is not torn; the sea is the world, Peter in the boat stands
for supreme authority of the Church, and the number of fish signifies the
number of the elect (cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on St. John,
in loc.").
　

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

[참고: 이 파일은 저서명 "가톨릭 교회의 말씀 전례에 따른 성경공부 해설서"(엮은이: 소순태, 출판사: 가톨릭출판사)의 각주의 연장으로 마련되었습니다].