JESUS APPEARS TO SEVEN DISCIPLES

After this, Jesus appeared once more to his disciples at Lake Tiberias. This is how it happened. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael (the one from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of Jesus were all together.  Simon Peter said to the others, “I am going fishing.”

“We will come with you,”  they told him.  So they went out in a boat,  but all that night they did not catch a thing.  As the sun was rising, Jesus stood at the water’s edge, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.   Then he asked them, “Young men, haven’t you caught anything?”

  “Not a thing,” they answered.

  He said to them, “Throw your net out on the right side of the boat, and you will catch some.”  So they threw the net out and could not pull it back in,  because they had caught so many fish.

  The  disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”  When  Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment round him (for he had taken his clothes off) and jumped into the water.  The other disciples came to shore in the boat pulling the net full of fish.   They were not very far from land, about a hundred metres away.  When they stepped ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it and some bread.  Then Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

  Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore full of big fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all; even though there were so many, still the net did not tear.  Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.”  None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.  So Jesus went over, took the bread, and gave it to them; he did the same with the fish.

  This, then, was the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from death.

 (John 21:1-14)

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

May the Lord bless you and take care of you. May He be kind and gracious to you. May the Lord look on you with favour and give you peace.

With love filled blessings,

Your Sister in Christ

THE REQUEST OF JAMES AND JOHN

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus.  “Teacher,” they said, “there is something we want you to do for us.”

“What is it?”  Jesus asked them.

They answered, “When you sit on Your Throne in Your Glorious Kingdom, we want you to let us sit with You, one at Your right and one at Your left.”

Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking for.  Can you drink the cup of suffering that I must drink?  Can you be baptized in the way I must be baptized?”

“We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup I must drink and be baptized in the way I must be baptized.  But I do not have the right to choose who will sit at my right and my left.  It is God who will give these places to those for whom He has prepared them.”

When the other ten disciples heard about it, they became angry with James and John.  So Jesus called them all together to Him and said, “You know that the men who are considered rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority.  This, however, is not the way it is among you.  If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, he must be the slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; He came to serve and to give His life to redeem many people.”

(Mark 10 : 35 – 45)

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

May the Lord bless you and take care of you. May He be kind and gracious to you. May the Lord look on you with favour and give you peace.

With love filled blessings,

Your Sister in Christ

TRUE HAPPINESS

After John had been put in prison, Jesus went to Galilee and preached the Good News from God. “The right time has come,” He said, “and the Kingdom of God is near! Turn away from your sins and believe the Good News! ”   

His courteous behavior, humility and a speech filled with knowledge drew every soul to Him except those few whose behavior was laden with jealousy and ego. It’s a genuine truth throughout the Gospel that those who gathered to meet and listen to Jesus, were attracted towards Him.

Let’s take the example of Nathanael.

Nathanael on meeting Jesus for the first time exclaimed, “You are the Son of God.”  Jesus said, “Yes, you believe in Me, and you will see greater things.”  The spark of knowledge from Christ enlightens the one who met Him, encourages them to speak the truth confidently and fearlessly as  Joy of the truth overflows from their heart.

Let us today review how Lord Jesus called His disciples and their response to His call.

“As Lord Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Galilee, He saw two brothers who were fishermen, Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew, catching fish in the lake with a net.  Jesus said to them, “Come with Me, and I will teach you to catch men.”  At once they left their nets and went with Him.

 He went on and saw two other brothers James and John, the sons of Zebedee.  They were in their boat with their father Zebedee, getting their nets ready.  Jesus called them, and at once they left the boat and their father and went with him.    (Matt 4)

As He walked along, He saw a tax collector, Levi, son of Alphaeus sitting in his office.  Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”  Levi got up and followed him. (Mark 2)

We can observe the great obedience of those poor people. On receiving the call, forgetting themselves, they humbly obeyed Jesus who called them and set out to follow Him. Nothing stopped them; not even the thoughts of their family and future could restrain them.

Jesus went all over Galilee as a great light, comfort and a new life to those who lived in dark land of death.  Soon He became well known by all and large crowds followed Him from different towns.  He sat on a hill top and began to teach them in a friendly way regarding the true joy of the Kingdom.

“Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor;

The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them!

“Happy are those who mourn;

God will comfort them!

“Happy are those who are humble;

They will receive what God has promised!

“Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires;

God will satisfy them fully!

“Happy are those who are merciful to others;

God will be merciful to them!

“Happy are the pure in heart;

They will see God!

“Happy are those who work for peace;

God will call them His children!

“Happy are those who are persecuted because

they do what God requires;

The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them!

Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are My followers. Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted.

No one can deny how great is the secret of our religion:

He appeared in human form,

Was shown to be right by the Spirit,

and was seen by angels.

He was preached among the nations,

was believed in throughout the world,

and was taken up to Heaven.

(1 Timothy 3:16)