123. Easter Friday

Meditations no. 169 (unofficial computer-aided translation)

Winning new apostles is a divine command.

Several days had already gone by since our Lord’s Resurrection. The apostles, in obedience to the command which Jesus gave them through Mary Magdalene - tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me- went back home to Capharnaum. And while they were waiting, they each took up their ordinary work.

Peter had denied our Lord three times, and then wept; the cock’s crowing had reminded him of our Lord’s words, and he asked for forgiveness. But he had to do something: he had to work, and being a fisherman, he went fishing. He went back to his ordinary work, like my children. What do my children do? They are teachers, farm-workers, miners, engineers, lawyers, doctors… Peter cried a lot and then returned to his work. And there are still some people who, like the Pharisees, are scandalized by the fact that the children of God in Opus Dei continue fishing, if they were fishermen before, or if someone who was a banker continues to be one. They seem to forget that it was at the money-changer’s table that our Lord sought out Matthew.

Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. What affection I feel for those “two others”, because the “two others” remained anonymous! I relish the thought that one can live in this world in such a beautiful way: hiding and disappearing. It’s so beautiful to go unnoticed!

And Peter told them: Vado piscari, I’m going fishing. He is going to carry out his professional work. Great things happen there. It is such a great thing to do our ordinary, everyday work. Here lies the root of our spirituality. And the others answered him: Venimus et nos tecum, we’ll go with you. And they caught nothing. They spent the whole night fishing, but to no avail.

With the first rays of dawn the fishermen returned with an empty boat. Apparently the whole night had been spent in vain. But when the sun had risen, mane autem facto, stetit Iesus in littore. When morning came, our Lord appeared on the shore. Jesus comes by in the morning. How many times has Christ not only been near us, but within us! And yet we continue to lead such a human existence. We fail to realize that Jesus is here, right next to us. Non tamen cognoverunt discipuli quia Iesus est. They failed to recognize him. Then Jesus said to them: Children, have you any fish? How very human! God asks us, his creatures, for something to eat God needs us. How beautiful that is! What a marvel of God’s greatness! God needs us. No one is indispensable: I’m the Founder of Opus Dei and I’m not indispensable either. Nevertheless, I can tell you at the same time, that God needs us; he needs you and he needs me.

The fishermen were exhausted from having worked all night, and with scarcely a glance towards him, they answered: “No.” Our Father comments: This was an act of humility. They said the plain truth. Then Jesus says with all his power: Mittite in dexteram navigii rete et invenietis, throw your net to the right of the boat and you will find fish.

It was a command like the one they had received once before. But this time there was something very special about it. They throw the net out to the right of the boat It is a specific task, so that we too may learn. It is no longer a matter of being leaven for the dough of the multitude. Now it is a matter of being fishermen who catch other fishermen. They are fish of a different kind. They are other instruments who, later on, must turn into fishers of men.

The disciples obeyed in silence, with a quiver in their hearts, and also with the humility born of a whole night’s wasted effort. They were docile, humble and obedient. And immediately they felt their nets weighed down by the catch.

My child, what do you and I do for the catch of fish to be abundant, so that many pieces of living silver will come into the boat?

Our desire to win souls shows our love for our vocation.

The catch was so great, and the fish so heavy, that they could not haul in the net. Dixit ergo discipulus ille, quem diligebat Iesus, Petro: Dominus est! It is love that enables him to see from afar. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, says: “It is the Lord!”

John’s cleanness, his self-surrender, the fact that he had always stayed pure - not hesitating for a moment - and that he had given himself to God from his adolescence, enabled him to recognize our Lord right away. What’s needed is purification, and a special sensitivity to divine things. God has of course also spoken to sinners, like Saul and Balaam, but he usually expects people to have a special capacity, born of self-giving and love, to recognize these special signs.

As soon as Peter heard that it was the Lord, he immediately wrapped his tunic about him and threw himself into the sea to meet Jesus. Peter personifies faith. Full of marvellous 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?

Our Lord wants the catch to be abundant: the only thing necessary is our obedience to what we are told in his name. Then everything falls into place: one hundred and fifty-three fish, each one counted. They were all caught to the right side of the boat And this time the net did not break, nor did they have to ask others for help, for these fish were for them.

Another fruitful work of apostolate, which is the apostolate of apostolates, is the work of winning new apostles. If any children of mine do not work to win new apostles… they are doing badly. Something is going wrong. If you truly love your way then you should desire to bring others to join you in your happiness, because good naturally spreads itself. Alas for that child of mine who does not have the desire to bring other souls!… Such souls are to be sought in very specific places, depending on their human qualities, their intelligence, talent and loyalty. It also depends on the supernatural qualities which perhaps they previously lacked, but which now, by your side, they have.

This time there were fewer fish than on the previous occasion, when they had had to call on other boats to help them. But this time, they were all large fish. There was an exact number of them. In comparison with the crowd, they were few. There was no need to break the normal routine and request help from other fishermen who were also in their boats. Do you understand this?

We have to look for souls where they are.

When, with practised skill, Peter hauled to land the net full of fish, the other apostles were astonished. How wonderful it is to catch all those big, marvellous fish for the Lord!

My dear children, while it is true that all of you are Christ, your brothers the priests, by virtue of their priestly ordination, are especially Christ. You, the lay people, have to haul in your nets full of fish and bring them - each and every one of the fish - to the priests. Such is your apostolic vocation. We are interested in all souls, especially those who have the necessary conditions for our vocation.

The Gospel scene which we have meditated on today stimulates us to renew our proselytistic fervour. As our Founder insists: My children, I would like you to learn to be enthusiastic and to instil that same enthusiasm into your friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbours. Bring your friends, make them fishermen, for they may be on the way to being fished. We are like red-hot coals and these coals burn whatever they come into contact with; or at least, they raise the temperature around them. Otherwise, these red-hot coals die out. Can you imagine the heart of a child of God in his Opus Dei being extinguished, becoming cold and supernaturally lifeless, and losing that ability to set people on fire by its very presence?

There are so many good things waiting to be done, so many wonderful apostolic initiatives of the Work… all of them so attractive and effective. Some seem small, but they will do a great deal of good to many people. Besides, they are an opportunity for a second catch of fish to be laid at Christ’s feet. These are the hundred and fifty-three fish.

The lake is big and there are enough fish for everyone. But this time the Lord pointed out a specific place: on the right side of the boat. My children, we aren’t upset by other people. We’re happy to see everyone else working too. The world of souls is like an immense sea. You should love the apostolate done by others. Nobody hinders us. We work in our own patch. A son or daughter of mine should not be concerned with the apostolic work done by others, except to praise it. As for us, working with our own spirit, let’s go fishing!

Our Lord sends us out. He goes back to his heavenly Father, and his apostles stay on this earth, traversing the seas. May those children of mine who would like to stay comfortably at home learn, instead, to spread out all over the world. We have a basic, primary duty to look for souls where they are, and bring them into the boat, wounded by love and contrition, surrendering themselves completely or at least with the desire of doing so.

With the help of our Mother, Regina Apostolorum, Queen of Apostles, may our nets always yield an abundant catch for the service of God, the Church and all souls.