BY OUR SIDE

Easter is over and we are back in Ordinary Time, but I was wondering if time can be ordinary again after a true Easter. Peter tried to do that at first. He went back fishing and, of course, he didn’t catch anything. Jesus had to show up on the shore again and remind him that he had not forgotten his word—he had called him to be a fisher of man and he had not taken back his word despite his mistakes (Jn 21:1-19).

I can imagine Peter thinking, “So now what? How do we do this?” As they waited for the Holy Spirit, they were like little birds who have no trust that those two “things” on their sides would ever help them to fly. Have you ever felt that way?

When we are still fearful to try our new wings, we may need to remember these words from St Paul: “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (2 Cor 5:17) Even our most ordinary gestures at work and with are our loved ones can be clothed with new light, depth and beauty, only if we recognize the everlasting presence of the Risen One by our side.