It is true to say that today’s page of the Gospel is rich in emotions for the richness of the truth it presents. It is also true to say that it is valid today as it was 2000 years ago when it happened.
Because, above all, the miracle is historically notified with the simplicity of the truth, with the force of certitude, and with God’s prodigious grace and it takes such a structure to enter our heart and become part of our life.
Even when life is extinguished, I mean spiritual life; moreover, even when it is extinguished physically too, those raised from the dead by Jesus were a lot; maybe, the greatest, the most famous is Lazarus, Martha and Mary Magdalene’s brother.
However, the power of the Gospel is enormous, and it so not only because the facts are wonderful, they are divine, so they go beyond the limits of human material misery, to enter the reign of eternal light; but they are wonderful indeed because their teachings are valid today as they were a long time ago.
In fact, let me say so, because I’m tired of keeping it to myself, let me say so, a lot of times Our Lady complains of the lack of faith, the weakness of trust which is not as it should be, while the Gospel is always the same.
God’s law is always the same, it never changes.
So anyone with ears in his head can hear that: there are no eminent priests, or bishops, or others who could change the Gospel and God’s law and there is no authority which should adapt the Gospel to the present times, but any simple soul can say with authority that we should adapt the present times to the Gospel.
This is clear and about it I have no difficulty in saying : I would give my life, even if I don’t know how much of it I still have.
Then, why is the Gospel so great, for example today?
Because, seeing the apostles washing the fishing-nets which were dirty with the seaweeds grazing underneath in the depth of the lake, the Lord sits in their boat, begins to teach people and then, suddenly, he says to the most eminent fishermen, Peter, then John and James, and so on, he says:
- “Throw the nets”.
“Well, we have been working for the whole night, we are tired, we have caught nothing. ”
Simon says :
- “Master, on your word I’ll throw the nets”.
He sails on his boat, throws the nets, and as it appears from the Gospel, not from a void interpretation, but from a real truth, they fill the nets so much that they tear.
They ask the other boat for help; they are evidently fishing boats, not tourist boats, so they are large, and they fill the other one so much that they nearly sink for the weight of the fish
But the words, the prophetic words are those! The miracle happens and you can immediately see it, but the soul of the miracle is not the miracle you can see, but the one which came from the heart of the apostle:
“Master, on your word I’ll throw the nets.”
Now, excuse me, I have said that the Gospel is the Gospel, it is not possible to change it, so don’t let us change it, not even these words. I have said that life, the world, must adapt to the Gospel, it’s not the Gospel which has to adapt to them. And then we adapt the Gospel to life. What shall we do? Well, as it seems it should be very simple. Are we too busy? Is there any lack of trust? Are we tired?
Life is terribly troubled, promises are a few and not very reliable, threats are everywhere, peace is continuously disturbed, our brothers’ blood is shed everywhere, the same hypocrisy is even on the shoulders and on the lips of some (of course not everyone) God’s ministers.
Even the name and the life given us by God are being distorted.
There’s such a pharisaism to impress and overcome the old pharisaism of Christ’s times. What shall we do?
How many difficulties in our life: life is like a sea and our boat is empty.
“Master, on your name I’ll throw the nets.”
We would say that this is the key to the miracle, this is the secret of the miracle, and as a consequence, this is the infallible sign of life.
Does the world die? Ah, why does the world die? Frankly, won’t you tell me that graveyards are lacking, will you? But the world dies in another way, in the worst way; it dies walking, it dies singing, it dies drinking, it dies eating, it dies amusing itself, it always dies! In simple words, a crowd of dead men is walking in front of us.
How can we do?
Of course, we can’t do it affirming we are laymen, without God, or however independent from God.
Can we do it with this? Can we do it putting a cross on our breast? But not even with that; it is material, it is an ordinary sign.
What about having the cross consecrated ? It’s of little use, because even if it is consecrated it is always a cross. But yes, the cross is worth, but not that one!
It is the faith which has created the cross: the faith in the son of God as a man, and the love of God as God; the man God has created the cross, the faith in the cross. And on that cross there’s written a name: Jesus Nazarene.
But then, then it’s very simple! That cross has not always been there! I have a small piece too, in a shrine, I too have a small piece of the Lord’s cross. The cross has not been there.
Where has it gone? It has stayed where it must stay, the true cross, that is the faith which has examined it as a means, built, used, offered, lived and sanctified it for our redemption..
The cross.
Then that cross enters man’s soul, man’s heart, and then it is also true that the cross becomes the password, and the password is easy; on your name Lord, on your name Jesus, on your name Master, we will throw our nets. With these we will be saved, remember it well ! Not only with these we will be saved, but just with these we will be saved! And then we will be happy, even if we have suffered because we have carried a living cross which has saved us.
This is the great truth.
But where has it saved us from? From everything: in our worldly life and in our eternal life, in every way, in every aspect, under every circumstance and relation, in the light of time and in the light of eternity. It has saved us, that is the salvation. So here is the password to be used in our life.
How many times some people say: what can we do? What shall we do? To deliver ourselves from such evil? To feel stronger, more protected, more decided, more peaceful? On your name Lord we will throw the nets. This is the question, that is on the name of the Lord.
And then we would hear Jesus answer as he answered Simon :
-“Don’t be afraid, from now on you will fish for men“.
That is with our faith, with our victory we will also save the others.
We do a lot of things to save the earth, to save, I don’t know, the whole life, above all human life. A lot of things : science speaks, work tries hard, on all sides people labour, on all sides people turn, everywhere people do their best, they try to find more; when the labour is too much people utter the stupid and infernal exclamation of the curse, because life doesn’t go, it doesn’t go.
A few people hold on, they are faithful at all costs, and they succeed. Now, when I say a few I don’t mean four or five people, it’s true, a few in the great number of the world’s population living on the same earth. But, however, even if they are a few they are also a lot, if we think that for this Gospel there were only 12 apostles and one traitor, yet just during one generation, in a general vision, except some particulars, it obtained life in the world, and after four centuries of persecutions of the Church, Christianity splendidly triumphed, even if there was still a lot to be done.
Then the word on your name almost became the word of science, of experience, the word of cunning, of cleverness, of power, then of violence and then what it is , what it is today. This word: on your name , people don’t say it any more; they say on the name of atomic energy; either they will become wise or the bomb will explode! Poor stupid people, they’ll die under it.
This is the world which has transformed the first formula of life, in the formula of death. I think it is enough, to make us understand we should lay in the nets at the right time, throw ourselves in our sea and peacefully fish.
-“On your word Lord, I’ll throw the nets”.
Then, after what they have fished, what has happened?
The apostles return to the beach, they push the boats loaded with fish and where do they go? Do they go eating? Do they go selling? It’s very simple; after pulling the boats on the beach, they left everything and followed him. But they didn’t even think for a moment of what they had fished! They knew they had earned the Author of life and lived with Him; maybe with a slice of bread, but they lived with Him. This is the consequence.
My God we ask You for peace, we ask You for the Joy of the truth; we will follow You even with only a slice of bread, what there will be.
Even if the world will destroy itself in a lot of parts, we will follow You. Because it is on your word that we face the sea of life, it’s on your word that we stay on the true boat of life, and it’s on your word that we rest.
Let us Lord remember a very useful truth: that this word that came to save the world was given by a Mother, and She’s the Virgin Mary.
And then, on this boat, with our word and with the Mother who gave birth to life, we shall go on.
Believe me, it is the only secret of the true joy of our existence.

I believe in one only God…