Turning Outward

This week’s Gospel has always been interesting to me for a couple of reasons.  One is because of how frequently our sadness, anger, and frustration can result in our gaze turning inward which results in self-pity and pride. 

The disciples are sad about Jesus’ death and have now been fishing all night without catching anything.  Even though the cause of their grief is the death of Jesus, they do not recognize Him standing on the shore.  We can frequently become so absorbed in our own feelings and pain that we miss what is right in front of us.  In these moments, we need to remain focused outward and on God. 

The other thing that always strikes me about this Gospel reading is how we can almost always see how God was present in past suffering that we have endured, and yet we frequently fail to see God in the midst of our suffering as we are enduring it. 

In hindsight, we can often see how providentially God has guided us through past grievances, suffering, and pain, but we often forget that He is always present when we are actively in pain and suffering.  This is a very common and human occurrence since pain is intense and intense things usually have our full attention.  However, we need to stay as focused as we can on God even in the midst of suffering and pain. 

While we may not understand the suffering in the moment, we need to trust that God is present and that all will be revealed in the Resurrection.  If you find yourself turning inward or forgetting God in the midst of suffering, consider praying with the Gospel reading and place yourself in the place of the disciples as they suffered and Christ revealed Himself to them.