“By what power or by what name have you done this?” (Acts 4:7)
Peter and John are given the opportunity to proclaim in Jesus the resurrection of the dead not only in the streets on the marvelous day of Pentecost, but just a couple days later when they are arrested and brought to court. In response to this question of the judges they proclaim the sort of salvation and savior revealed in the Resurrection, the salvation brought by God who not only took on all of human life in the Incarnation, but who has given proof of His promise of eternal life by rising from the dead. Jesus has become the cornerstone of all the work of salvation. Our Risen Lord is the source of true and saving hope for all who believe in Him.
What is all the more amazing then are the simple ways in which He meets His disciples and helps them to believe in Him after the Resurrection. He leads them after a frustrating night of catching nothing at sea, to listen to him and pull in more fish in an instant than they are capable of hauling onto their boat. This miracle makes clear that they are in the presence of the Lord. Yet, once they come close to Him on the seashore, He simply has them sit and feeds them. “Come, have breakfast.” (Jn 21:12) The Redeemer of all wishes to pass the morning simply feeding and sitting with His tired disciples. The glory of the Resurrection is indeed overwhelming and powerful, yet, today we may ask the Lord for the grace to know His presence in simple moments of the day. Perhaps as we say grace and take our meals today, we can ask for the gift to know as the apostles did that morning that it is Christ who feeds us, and who wants to sit with us as we eat.