Time for breakfast

Today’s Gospel (John 21:1-14) recounts yet another appearance of the risen Christ to his disciples.

As in the case of the appearance on the road to Emmaus, the narrative of this appearance contains many points with meaning for our spiritual lives.

A key point is that of sustenance.

The disciples, needing to fill their time and their bellies, have pulled an all-nighter, but have ended up with nothing to show for their efforts.

So too you and I may work long and hard in developing ourselves, spiritually and morally, and may end up making little progress (or even backsliding!).

Today’s Gospel reminds us that true spiritual sustenance requires the Lord’s guidance and the Lord’s providence.

Thus, like the disciples, we should be listening for the voice of the Lord to tell us where to focus our efforts.

Also, as it was for the disciples, it is good for us to listen for the Lord and to seek spiritual sustenance from him at the very beginning of each and every day.

Many of us are very busy in the morning, and yet often it is in the morning that we are most successful in sticking to a routine that gets us off to a good start.

Today’s Gospel is an opportunity for us to consider how we might integrate the Lord more fully into our morning routine.

Not all of us can commit ourselves to attending Mass every morning (although that is wonderful) or even the Liturgy of the Hours (which is very beneficial), but each of us can dedicate at least a few minutes every morning for private prayer and perhaps reading a few verses of Scripture and other spiritual reading.

Jesus said to them,
“Come, have breakfast.”