A Homily for Friday in the Octave of Easter
Friday, April 10, 2026
Prince of Peace Catholic Church – 8:00 Mass
Acts 4:1-12; Psalm 118:1-2 and 4, 22-24, 25-27a; John 21:1-14
Audio Recording
In today’s Gospel, something very human is happening to the disciples. After everything they had experienced — the miracles, the crowds, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Cross, and even the empty tomb — they go back to fishing.
At first, this might seem surprising. But it is actually very understandable.
Disappointment, confusion, and uncertainty about the future have a way of pulling us backward. When life does not unfold the way we expected, there is a strong temptation to return to what feels familiar, safe, and predictable. The disciples had left their nets to follow Jesus. Now, not knowing what comes next, they pick them up again.
And they catch nothing.
That detail matters. Without Jesus, even the work they once knew so well no longer bears fruit. Their return to the old life does not satisfy them.
Then, at daybreak, Jesus is standing on the shore — but they do not recognize Him.
How often that happens to us. The Lord is present. He is near. He is guiding us. And yet, in moments of confusion or discouragement, we fail to see Him. Instead of moving forward in trust, we drift backward into old habits, old fears, old ways of living that belonged to the time before we truly encountered Him.
But Jesus does not leave the disciples there.
He calls out to them. He directs them. He fills their nets. And then He invites them to come ashore and share a meal He has prepared for them. Only then do they begin to understand: it is the Lord.
And this moment becomes a turning point — especially for Peter. The same Peter who returned to fishing in today’s Gospel is the one we see in the first reading standing before the authorities and boldly proclaiming, “There is no salvation through anyone else.” He is no longer retreating into his old life. He is moving forward in the new life Christ has given him.
That is what recognition of the risen Lord does. It changes the direction of our lives. It moves us from hesitation to courage, from confusion to clarity, from retreat to mission.
The same choice stands before us.
Whenever life becomes uncertain or difficult, we can either return to the old nets — or we can listen for the voice of the risen Christ calling to us again.
And He still calls to us today, especially in the Eucharist. Just as He fed the disciples on the shore that morning, He feeds us at this altar with His own Body and Blood. He does not simply remind us of who He is. He gives Himself to us so that we can continue following Him — and become more and more like Him as we do.
So if we ever find ourselves drifting back toward the life we lived before we met Christ, today’s Gospel reminds us of something very important:
He is still standing on the shore. Still calling our name. Still inviting us forward into the new life he has prepared for us. Join me now as we dine with him…as He feeds and continues to divinize us at this Eucharistic table.
God bless you.