Empty Nets
April 25, 2025 - Friday in the Octave of Easter
John 21:1–14
In the Gospel of Luke, Peter’s call follows a fruitless night of fishing: “Lord, we have worked the whole night and caught nothing.” Historically, the Lake of Galilee was overfished—Herod Antipas even maintained a fleet to supply fish for the emperor of Rome. Yet, on a deeper level, fishing symbolizes the Church’s missionary activity. Jesus told Peter, “You shall fish for people.”
In John’s account, seven individuals join Peter on a mission—a number rich in symbolic meaning (cf. Rev. 1:20) in his Gospel. Aside from Peter, the text names Thomas (called Didymus) and Nathanael from Cana in Galilee. While other Gospels identify James and John as the sons of Zebedee, the identities of the remaining two disciples are less clear; tradition often suggests that the beloved disciple is among those unnamed, commonly associated with John.
As in Luke’s narrative, their fishing effort initially fails. This failure reveals a profound truth: a mission without Christ cannot succeed. There may be plenty of people awaiting the Gospel, but without the risen Lord present among us, no one is drawn to the Church. It isn’t a shortage of fish—it’s the absence of Jesus.
In John’s Gospel, night carries a negative symbolism, representing betrayal, confusion, denial, and a lack of understanding. While fishing typically occurs at night, here the darkness of night underscores the struggle of a mission conducted without Christ. In contrast, the dawn symbolizes the arrival of light that cannot be overcome. At dawn, the risen Christ appears on the shore and directs His disciples toward a successful mission.
Both Luke 5:1–11 and John 21:1–14 emphasize Peter’s central role. In John’s account, Peter initiates the mission, leaps into the water to be with Jesus, and draws an astonishing catch ashore. Yet, despite his leadership, Peter remains a flawed, sinful man—one who confessed his weakness in Luke’s Gospel and whose triple denial is noted in John’s.
It was around a charcoal fire that Peter once denied knowing Jesus, and it is there that he will also proclaim his love for Him. The man who once pleaded, “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man,” will now declare, “Lord, you know that I love you.” Despite his faults, Peter becomes the foremost figure among the disciples and the leader of the Church—a forgiven sinner whose love for Christ empowered him to rise above his imperfections. As he later wrote, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).