How do the catch, meal and Peter’s exchanges conclude the narrative?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

An unrecognized shoreline instruction leads to a large catch, meal, three love questions, death-signifying prediction and correction of a rumor.

Chapter breakdown

Jesus shows Himself again at the sea of Tiberias. Peter, Thomas Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons and two other disciples are together. Peter says he goes fishing; they come with him. They enter the ship and catch nothing that night. In the morning Jesus stands on shore unrecognized. Asking whether they have meat, He hears no. He directs the net to the ship’s right side with a promise they will find. They cast and cannot draw it for the fish multitude. The loved disciple tells Peter it is the Lord. Peter girds his coat, being naked, and casts himself into the sea. The others come in the ship dragging the net, about two hundred cubits from land.

On landing they see hot coals with a fish and bread. Jesus requests some of their catch. Peter goes up and draws the net to land with 153 great fish; it is unbroken despite the number. Jesus invites them to dine. None dares ask His identity, knowing it is the Lord. He gives bread and fish. The narrator calls this His third manifestation to disciples after rising.

After dining Jesus asks Simon, son of John, whether he loves Him more than these. Peter says the Lord knows he loves Him and receives Feed my lambs. The second love question receives the same answer and lambs command. At the third question Peter is grieved because it is asked a third time; he appeals to the Lord’s knowing all things and his love, receiving Feed my sheep. The edition interprets this as fulfilling Matthew 16:19’s promised spiritual supremacy through superintendency of all sheep without exception, His whole church. Jesus contrasts Peter’s younger self-girding and chosen walking with old age: outstretched hands, another girding him and leading where he would not. The narrator says this signifies by what death he glorifies God. Jesus tells him to follow.

Peter turns and sees the loved disciple following, identified as the one leaning on Jesus’s breast at supper and asking who would betray Him. Peter asks what he will do. Jesus answers So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? and repeats Follow thou me. A saying spreads among brethren that the disciple will not die; the narrator corrects it, repeating Jesus’s wording rather than a no-death promise. This disciple testifies and has written these things, with testimony affirmed true. There are many other deeds: the closing statement says I think the world could not contain books if each were written.

The story inside

After a night without a catch, an unrecognized man on shore directs a right-side cast. The disciples follow it before the loved disciple identifies Him. The catch is then narrated, not a result known to them before deciding.

Lessons worth keeping

1
No haze, calm water, net symbolism or denial-healing motive is stated.
2
Spiritual supremacy is the edition’s explicit annotation and is kept separate.
3
The prediction signifies a death without naming crucifixion here, and the disciple’s prolonged life is not established.

Test your recall

What does the narrator correct about the disciple’s supposed deathlessness?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 123559–123565
21:6. He saith to them: Cast the net on the right side of the ship; and you shall find. They cast therefore: and now they were not able to draw it, for the multitude of fishes. 21:7. That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter: It is the Lord. Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, girt his coat about him (for he was naked) and cast himself into the sea.
Lines 123577–123585
21:11. Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of great fishes, one hundred and fifty-three. And although there were so many, the net was not broken. 21:12. Jesus saith to them: Come and dine. And none of them who were at meat, durst ask him: Who art thou? Knowing that it was the Lord. 21:13. And Jesus cometh and taketh bread and giveth them: and fish in like manner.
Lines 123590–123602
21:15. When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs. 21:16. He saith to him again: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith to him: yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs. 21:17. He said to him the third time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he had said to him the third time: Lovest thou me? And he said to him: Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. He said to him: Feed my sheep.
Lines 123609–123625
21:18. Amen, amen, I say to thee, When thou wast younger, thou didst gird thyself and didst walk where thou wouldst. But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee and lead thee whither thou wouldst not. 21:19. And this he said, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had said this, he saith to him: Follow me. 21:20. Peter turning about, saw that disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also leaned on his breast at supper and said: Lord, who is he that shall betray thee? 21:21. Him therefore when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: Lord, and what shall this man do? 21:22. Jesus saith to him: So I will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? Follow thou me.