Cast Your Fear, for the Sake of the Mission

April 5, Friday in the Octave of Easter
Daily Readings: Acts 4:1-12; John 21:1-14

The disciple continues to preach the deeds of Jesus and proclaim his resurrection. Believers multiplied and became followers of the disciples, which piqued the interest of the elders and high priests.  The high priest and others then confronted the disciples, wondering under what name or under what power they did these things. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter, one of the disciples, tells them that Jesus of Nazareth, condemned and crucified, rose from the dead.

In the Gospel for today, Jesus showed himself for the third time to His disciples. He gave them instructions on where to cast their nets to catch fish, as they had no catch for the day. They followed his direction on where to throw the net.

Casting a net into the depths is not a guarantee that you will catch fish in the ocean. But because of the guidance and trust of the disciples in Jesus, they were able to get many. This incident serves as a metaphor for their future mission, where they will encourage others to convert and believe in Jesus instead of catching fish. As they put their trust in Jesus, they were able to fulfill their mission.  They become confident because they know Jesus is with them.

We always experience anxiety when we try new things in life. Anxiety that makes us ambivalent about whether to continue or not. We are afraid to “gamble” to say yes to an invitation from God. Despite the uncertainty, when we fully surrender and place our trust in God, everything aligns accordingly. We realized then that God put us in that situation because we had a mission to fulfill.  Everything that happens has a reason.

Lord, help us to entrust everything to your loving heart as we do our mission in life.