IN WHAT CLASS WILL YOUR CHARACTER PLACE YOU?

Are you in the Thomistic class? No wonder, if you find it difficult to believe. But, you have every right to form part of the Church. Are you in the class of the Zebedees? Then you must be a ‘bit’ of a fanatic … remember the ‘fire from heaven’? Yet, you have every right to form part of the Church. If at any time you have denied the Lord, or you are hard-headed, always quick on the draw or hot-headed, then you must be in Peter’s class, notwithstanding, you have every right to form part of the Church. Are you still tied to the traditions of the past? Then you must be in Nathaniel’s class. But you do form part of the Church. If you lead a ‘low profile’ life, unknown by one and all, you must be in the class of the ‘two unnamed disciples’, And, you have every right to form part of His Church.

So the occupants of the boat were ‘seven’, according to the Gospel Text. This number represents ‘perfection’, ‘completeness’. Then, Peter and his six companions must have represented the entire Christian Community, according to the above symbolism. The above imagery is based on the ‘identity or character’ of the seven mentioned disciples. There were, and still are, various types of Christians, who despite their faults and limitations, still have the right to form part of the Church.

In Scripture, seven symbolizes completeness or perfection. On the seventh day God rested from his work, and Creation is finished. Pharaoh in his dream saw seven cattle coming from the Nile. Samson’s sacred Nazirite locks were braided in seven plaits. Seven devils left Mary of Magdala, signifying the totality of her previous possession by Satan; "seven other devils" might enter the purified, but vacant life of a person.
However, on the positive side, there were the seven spirits of God (Rev 3:1). In the seventh year the Hebrew slave was to be freed (Ex 21:2), having completed his time of captivity and service. Every seventh year was a sabbatical year (Lv 25:4). Seven times seven reiterates the sense of completeness. In the Year of Jubilee (at the completion of 7 x 7 years = the 50th year), all land is freed and returns to the original owners (Lv 25:10). Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks, is seven times seven days after Passover. "Seventy," which is literally "sevens" in Hebrew, strengthens the concept of perfection. There are 70 elders (Ex 24:1) in Israel. Israel was exiled to Babylon for 70 years (Jer 25:12) to complete its punishment. "Seventy times seven" (Mt 18:22) reiterates this still further, that the Lord was insisting on limitless forgiveness for a brother’s sin.

The last two Sundays we read about two manifestations of the Lord: one that occurred on Easter Sunday, when Thomas was absent, and the other, eight days later, when Thomas was present. This insistence on the “weekly” rhythm, was how John wanted the Christians to become aware that every time they gathered on the Lord’s Day, to celebrate the Eucharist, the Risen Lord was in their midst.

Now it is clear what Jesus meant when he told his disciples: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers for men.” (Mk 1:17). In fact, here they are at work. Peter is back to do his job, material fishing, but in the theological language of the evangelist, it indicates the apostolic mission of the Church committed to the liberation of people. In the Gospel of Matthew the kingdom of heaven is likened to a net cast into the sea, which collects fish of every kind, and when full it is dragged to shore (Mt 13:47-48). They caught 153 different fishes. BUT, if you look up Revelations, chapter 15, verse3, you will find written: “Great and wonderful are Thy works, O Lord, God Almighty.”

The darkness that accompanies the night has also a negative meaning. “Those who walk at night stumble” (Jn 11:10), “the one who follows me will not walk in darkness” (Jn 8:12) Jesus said. During the night one cannot act or orient oneself (Jn 9:4). Without light, the “fishing” of the disciples cannot get any results.
John wants the Christians of his community to come to understand that Jesus, while being on the “shore,” that is, in the glory of the Father, He is always beside them every day, and continues to resonate his voice, calling, talking, indicating what they should do, irrespective of what class, and what character, they, (we) are.