God’s amazing generosity is one of the many “running themes” in the New Testament. Indications of this generosity are: the amount of water changed into wine at Cana; the amount of bread left over after feeding the crowds in the desert; the life-giving water that Jesus guarantees the Samaritan woman at the well (no one who drinks it will ever be thirsty again); the abundance of life that the Good Shepherd gives; and the fullness of the Spirit who descended upon the Church.
This same generosity is witnessed in the huge haul of fish in John 21, 1-14; there are so many that they cannot be brought into the boat. The exact number is given, 153, and St. Jerome saw it as an expression of the “universalism” of the Christian mission – noting that the Greeks believed, with ancient science, that there were altogether 153 kinds of fish.
Obviously, we, too, are called to be generous. Do we look for and recognize Christ in every person whom we meet, especially the stranger? Do we share our love and solidarity with each other, especially through our celebration of the Eucharist? Do we willingly feed the hungry and visit the sick and do so in a generous way?
Let us pray. “Thank you, Lord God, for the blessings you have bestowed on our lives. You have provided us with more than we could ever have imagined. In your generosity, you have surrounded us with people who always look out for us. You have given us family and friends who bless us every day with kind words and actions. They lift us up in ways that keep our eyes focused on you and make our spirits soar. Help us imitate your generosity in all we say and do. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
