1st Reading – Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41

When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders, did we not,
to stop teaching in that name?
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles
to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

In our first reading, the apostles boldly proclaim the resurrection of Jesus, even under persecution. Their encounter with the risen Christ has transformed them from fearful followers into courageous witnesses.

When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,

The Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish tribunal, both religious and civil. Its authority was extensive, though under Roman oversight.

the high priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name?

The high priest, who presides over this court, confronts the apostles for defying a direct order to cease proclaiming Jesus’ name.

They are in direct disobedience to established authority.

Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

The apostles have apparently been quite successful in their preaching; so successful, in fact, that the high priest fears public backlash for the role the leaders played in Jesus’ death.

But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men.

Peter speaks for all the apostles, affirming that divine obedience supersedes human authority — a key principle when earthly mandates contradict God’s will.

The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand 

Peter then launches into a short sermon on the fundamental apostolic proclamation, the good news of Easter.

He frames his message within the tradition of Israel by identifying the God who raised him as the God “of our ancestors.”

The phrase “hanging on a tree” evokes Deuteronomy 21:23, where such a death is considered cursed. God reverses the dishonor of the crucifixion by raising Jesus and exalting him to the place of highest honor at God’s own right hand.

as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. 

Jesus, like Moses before Him, leads and saves — but now in a definitive and universal way. His exaltation brings not condemnation but the offer of mercy and reconciliation to Israel.

We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.”

It is impossible for the apostles to keep silent about the amazing things they have witnessed.

The Holy Spirit testifies with them, affirming the message and dwelling in those who respond in faith and obedience.

The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

Rather than shrinking from persecution, the apostles rejoice in being counted worthy to suffer for Christ. This isn’t because dishonor is something to be sought, but because they now share the dishonor Jesus suffered.

Their joy reflects a deep conformity to Christ’s own path and echoes Jesus’ words: Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven (Matthew 5:7-8).

2nd Reading – Revelation 5:11-14

I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels
who surrounded the throne
and the living creatures and the elders.
They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain 
to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and blessing.”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and in the sea,
everything in the universe, cry out:
“To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor, glory and might,
forever and ever.”
The four living creatures answered, “Amen,”
and the elders fell down and worshiped.

In our first reading, the apostles proclaimed that God has exalted Jesus to His right hand. Our second reading gives us a powerful vision of that exaltation.

The scene is God’s throne room in heaven where angels, living creatures, and elders surround the throne of God in worship and awe.

I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders.

John witnesses a vast heavenly assembly encircling God’s throne. This passage is part of an ongoing vision that begins in the previous chapter of Revelation.

• While the specific types of angels are not named, their presence evokes the majesty and holiness of God’s court.
• We know much more about the living creatures. In Revelation 4, John describes them as being four in number, each with six wings and covered with eyes in front and back. They had the same likenesses as the four creatures in the vision of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:4-13): a lion, an ox, a man, and a soaring eagle. The symbolic meaning of these creatures has been interpreted in various ways over the centuries; their precise identity is secondary to their function, which is to continually praise God and surround his presence during divine revelations.
• Revelation 4:4 tells us that there were twenty-four elders. Interpretations vary: they may symbolize the fullness of God’s people (twelve tribes of Israel and twelve apostles) or the twenty-four priestly divisions of ancient Israel. More broadly, they represent the faithful who have persevered and now share in heavenly worship.

They were countless in number,

While the living creatures and elders are numbered, the angels are described as “countless,” emphasizing the overwhelming magnitude of heavenly praise surrounding the throne.

and they cried out in a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.”

The Lamb is Jesus Christ, the Passover lamb whose blood saves. This is the main title for Christ in Revelation, used twenty-eight times.

This hymn is a sevenfold doxology, symbolizing fullness and perfection. These attributes — power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing — are divine prerogatives that Christ receives because of his redemptive sacrifice.

This is a heavenly enthronement: Christ reigns universally, not only as Messiah but as divine King.

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.”

This litany of praise comes from all of creation — angelic, human, and even the realm of the dead — reflecting the cosmic scope of Christ’s lordship. Their worship unites heaven and earth in one voice, glorifying both “the one who sits on the throne” (God the Father) and “the Lamb” (Jesus Christ, the Son).

This parallel praise affirms Christ’s divine identity. Though distinct from the Father, the Lamb receives identical worship, pointing to the mystery of the Trinity: one God in three divine persons. The early Christian understanding, affirmed by the Church, is clear: Jesus is not merely exalted; he shares in the divine nature.

The four living creatures answered, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

The creatures affirm the praise with a solemn “Amen,” and the elders respond with worship.

Their posture reflects full submission and reverence, recognizing the Lamb’s unique worthiness and divine status.

Gospel – John 21:1-19

At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jesus said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Last week, we heard of Jesus’ first two appearances to the apostles; today, we hear about the third.

At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.

The Sea of Tiberias is another name for the Sea of Galilee.

He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

After the Resurrection, Peter returns to fishing, perhaps out of habit or uncertainty. This detail highlights the disciples’ lingering confusion about their mission.

When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

As with Mary Magdalene at the tomb (John 20:14) and the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:16), Jesus’ risen form is not immediately recognized — his glorified body is somehow different, revealing him only when hearts are opened to faith.

Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”

Jesus calls them children (paidía), a term of tender affection that also implies a certain spiritual immaturity. They still do not fully grasp the Resurrection’s meaning.

They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.”

It was not unusual for someone on shore to spot fish the fishermen could not see.

However, we will see that Jesus’ command has a deeper, symbolic resonance.

So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish.

This abundant catch represents the Church’s mission to draw all souls into Christ’s net of salvation.

The miraculous catch echoes Luke 5:4-7, when Jesus said to Peter: “I will make you fishers of men.”

So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”

“The disciple whom Jesus loved” is John’s way of referring to himself in the story. Based on this mighty sign, he recognizes Jesus.

Note that recognition comes through Jesus’ actions, not his words.

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. 

Peter’s impulsive leap into the water expresses unrestrained love and longing for Christ.

Tucking in his garment reflects a concern for decorum even in his eagerness.

The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish.

The rest of the group follows Peter to shore in the boat.

When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. 

Only two charcoal fires (ánthrakiàn) are mentioned in Scripture — here, and at Peter’s denial (John 18:18). The parallel is deliberate, setting the stage for Peter’s restoration.

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”

Although Jesus already has fish cooking on the fire, he invites the disciples to contribute. Our cooperation, however small, has value in God’s plan.

So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.

It is said that numbers are never accidental in the gospel of John, and many theories about the meaning of 153 fish have been proposed. Saint Jerome noted that according to the science of the time, there were 153 species of fish in the sea, and therefore this extraordinary number is meant to signal the universality of the Church’s salvific mission.

The unbroken net signifies the unity of the Church amid diversity.

Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord.

There is a mysterious awe in Jesus’ risen presence. They know him, but differently than before.

Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish.

Jesus’ actions echo the multiplication of loaves (John 6) and the Last Supper.

This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.

This connects the episode to earlier appearances in the Upper Room (John 20), and solidifies the foundation of apostolic witness.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

By calling him “Simon,” Jesus refers to Peter’s pre-apostolic identity, suggesting a restart. Remember, we have already been told that this conversation is taking place around a charcoal fire, just like the fire where Peter was warming himself as he made his three-fold denial of Christ.

It is unclear whether Jesus is asking Peter if he loves Jesus more than he loves the others in the group (his closest friends), or if Peter loves Jesus more than the others love Jesus.

The Greek word here for “love” is agápē, self-sacrificing love, the highest of the virtues.

He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Interestingly, Peter’s reply uses a different Greek word for love. He replies with philía, the lifelong love between siblings and closest friends.

Recall that at the Last Supper, before Jesus’ arrest, Peter overestimated his ability to love: Even though all may fall away because of you, I will never fall away… Even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. (Matthew 26:33-35) Yet that very night, he denied even knowing Jesus three times, as Jesus had predicted.

Peter also sidesteps the specific inquiry about loving “more than these.”

His humility reflects repentance; he no longer overstates his devotion.

He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

Christ entrusts Peter with pastoral care — a share in his own shepherding role. Lambs are the vulnerable young of the flock.

This episode between Jesus and Peter is unfolding as a scene of rehabilitation, forgiveness, and confirmation of Peter’s role in the church.

He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Again with the old name, and again agápē. Jesus continues to call Peter deeper.

He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Again, philía.

Jesus is repeatedly asking for true, self-sacrificing love, but Peter is unable to make this commitment of love — at this point on his journey, he can only offer the deep brotherly love of a best friend.

Peter is honest about the limits of his love, yet sincere. A deeply humbling experience.

He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

Peter’s charge expands: from lambs to sheep, from feeding to guiding and protecting. Jesus is forming Peter as the chief shepherd of the Church.

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

This time Jesus uses philia, meeting Peter where he is. This gracious accommodation reflects divine condescension: God stoops to our level to raise us higher.

Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

Peter is troubled by this repeated questioning; he cannot yet see that this triple affirmation beside the charcoal fire is a reversal of his three-fold denial beside another charcoal fire.

In doing this, Jesus enables Peter to make reparation. He uses Peter’s own failure and contrition to give him a deeper love.

Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

Peter’s threefold affirmation undoes his threefold denial. Jesus fully restores him and commissions him as the visible head of the Church.

Note that Jesus never says, “feed your sheep.” The sheep remain Christ’s — Peter shepherds them in Christ’s name.

From the First Vatican Council: “We therefore teach and decree that, according to the testimony of the Gospel, the primacy of jurisdiction over the universal Church of God was immediately and directly promised and given to Blessed Peter the Apostle by Christ our Lord… And it was upon Simon Peter alone that Jesus after His resurrection bestowed the jurisdiction of chief pastor and ruler over all His fold in the words: ‘Feed may lambs… Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep.’”

Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

Jesus foretells Peter’s martyrdom. “Stretch out your hands” is an allusion to crucifixion. Peter, who once fled from suffering, will now glorify God by embracing it. He will fulfill his earlier promise to follow Jesus even to death (John 13:37-38).

He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.

By the time of writing, Peter had already been martyred in Rome under Nero.

His death gave final witness (martyria) to the agápē love he once hesitated to claim.

And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Jesus ends with the same call he gave at the beginning of their discipleship: “Follow me.”

But now the command carries its full weight: obedience, love, suffering, and total self-gift.

Connections and Themes

Christ’s glory revealed through the cross. In our first reading, the apostles rejoice in their suffering and dishonor for the name of Jesus, affirming that their witness to the risen Christ is a source of honor. Their proclamation highlights that the crucifixion was not a defeat but a necessary step in God’s salvific plan, for through his death, Jesus conquered death itself. In the second reading, the Lamb that was slain is exalted in heaven, emphasizing that Christ’s suffering on the cross is the basis for his worthiness to receive eternal glory. The gospel reading echoes this by showing that even after his resurrection, Jesus predicts that Peter will face martyrdom, showing that the path to glory for Christ’s followers is through sacrifice and suffering. Together, these readings remind us that the glory of Christ is revealed in the mystery of his cross, and it is through embracing the cross that we, too, are called to share in his glory.

Commissioned to witness. Those who encounter the risen Christ are entrusted with a mission: to boldly witness to his resurrection and to shepherd others in faith. The apostles were filled with this boldness and continued preaching the gospel despite threats and persecution. In Revelation, the heavenly chorus declares the Lamb’s worthiness with universal praise that acknowledges the scope of Christ’s mission, which extends to all creation. In the gospel reading, Jesus entrusts Peter with the care of his flock, commanding him to “Feed my lambs… tend my sheep,” knowing that doing so will end in his martyrdom. Christ’s resurrection compels his followers to witness, regardless of the cost.