From: Acts 4:1-12
Peter and John Are Arrested
Address to the Sanhedrin
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Commentary:
1-4. On the Sadducee sect see the note on Matthew 3:7.
In this chapter St. Luke reports on the first conflict between the Apostles and the
Jerusalem authorities. Despite the incident at the end of Peter’s address, his
words are still an instrument of grace, stirring his listeners to believe and moving
them to love.
A large crowd gathered round Peter after the curing of the cripple, which brings
on the scene the “captain of the temple”, a priest second in line to the high priest
whose function it was to maintain order. The priests St. Luke refers to here would
have been those who were on for this particular week and were responsible for the
day-to-day affairs of the temple.
5-7. These three groups — rulers, elders, scribes — made up the Sanhedrin, the
same tribunal as had recently judged and condemned our Lord (cf. note on Mat-
thew 2:4). Jesus’ words are already being fulfilled: “A servant is not greater than
his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you” (John 15:20).
Annas was not in fact the high priest at this time, but the title was applied to him
along with Caiaphas because of the authority he still wielded: he had been high
priest and five of his sons succeeded him in the office, as well as Caiaphas, his
son-in-law (cf. Josephus, “Jewish Antiquities”, XX, 198f).
8-12. The Apostles’ confidence and joy is quite remarkable, as is their outspoken-
ness in asserting that “we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard”
(verse 20). “This is the glorious freedom of the children of God. Christians who let
themselves be browbeaten or become inhibited or envious in the face of the licen-
tious behavior of those who do not accept the Word of God, show that they have
a very poor idea of the faith. If we truly fulfill the law of Christ — that is, if we make
the effort to do so, for we will not always fully succeed—we will find ourselves en-
dowed with a wonderful gallantry of spirit” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 38).
Christians have a duty to confess their faith where silence would mean its impli-
cit denial, disrespect for religion, an offense against God or scandal to their neigh-
bor. Thus Vatican II: “Christians should approach those who are outside wisely,
‘in the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech’ (2 Corinthians 6:6-7), and should
strive, even to the shedding of their blood, to spread the light of life with all confi-
dence (Acts 4:29) and apostolic courage. The disciple has a grave obligation to
Christ, his Master, to grow daily in his knowledge of the truth he has received
from Him, to be faithful in announcing it and vigorous in defending it” (”Dignitatis
Humanae”, 14).
Pope Paul VI asked Catholics to check on any weak points in their faith, inclu-
ding ignorance and human respect, “that is, shame or timidness in professing
their faith. We are not speaking of that discretion or reserve which in a pluralist
and profane society like ours avoids certain signs of religion when with others.
We are referring to weakness, to failure to profess one’s own religious ideas for
fear of ridicule, criticism or others’ reactions [...] and which is a cause — perhaps
the main cause—of the abandonment of faith by people who simply conform to
whatever new environment they find themselves in” (Paul VI, “General Audience”,
19 June 1968).
8. Even in the very early days of Christianity Jesus’ prediction is borne out: “Be-
ware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils.... When they deliver you up,
do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are
to say will be given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of
your Father speaking through you” (Matthew 10:17-20).
10. “Whom God raised from the dead”: St. Peter once again bears witness to
the Resurrection of Jesus, the central truth of apostolic preaching; he uses here
the same words as he did at Pentecost. These are compatible with our holding
that Jesus “rose by His own power on the third day” ([Pope] Paul VI, “Creed of
the People of God”, 12). The power by which Christ rose was that of His divine
person, to which both His soul and His body remained joined even after death
separated them. “The divine power and operation of the Father and of the Son is
one and the same; hence it follows that Christ rose by the power of the Father
and by His own power” (St. Thomas Aquinas, “Summa Theologiae”, III, q. 53,
a. 4).
“By the word ‘Resurrection’,” the “St. Pius V Catechism” explains, “we are not
merely to understand that Christ was raised from the dead, which happened to
many others, but that He rose by His own power and virtue, a singular preroga-
tive peculiar to Him alone. For it is incompatible with nature and was never given
to man to raise himself by his own power, from death to life. This was reserved
for the almighty power of God. [...] We sometimes, it is true, read in Scripture
that He was raised by the Father; but this refers to Him as man, just as those
passages on the other hand, which say that He rose by His own power, relate
to Him as God” (I, 6, 8).
11. St. Peter applies the words of Psalm 118:22 to Jesus, conscious no doubt
that our Lord had referred to Himself as the stone rejected by the builders which
had become the cornerstone, the stone which keeps the whole structure toge-
ther (cf. Matthew 21:42 and par.).
12. Invocation of the name of Jesus is all-powerful because this is our Savior’s
own name (cf. note on Matthew 1:21). Our Lord Himself told His Apostles this:
“If you ask anything of the Father, He will give it to you in My name” (John 16:
23), and they, trusting in this promise, work miracles and obtain conversions “in
the name of Jesus”. Today — as ever — the power of His name will work wonders
in the souls of those who call upon Him. St. Escriva gives this advice: “Don’t be
afraid to call our Lord by His name — Jesus — and to tell Him that you love Him”
(”The Way”, 303); and the Liturgy of the Hours invites us to pray: “God our Fa-
ther, You are calling us to prayer, at the same hour as the Apostles went up to
the temple. Grant that the prayer we offer with sincere hearts in the name of Je-
sus may bring salvation to all who call upon that holy name” (Week 1, Monday
afternoon).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: John 21:1-14
The Miraculous Draught of Fish
[4] Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did
not know that it was Jesus. [5] Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any
fish?” They answered Him, “No.” [6] He said to them, “Cast the net on the right
side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not
able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. [7] That disciple whom Jesus loved said
to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put
on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. [8] But the
other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not
far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
[9] When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it,
and bread. [10] Jesus said to them, “Bring some fish that you have just caught.”
[11] So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a
hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was
not torn. [12] Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the
disciples dared ask Him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. [13] Jesus
came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. [14] This was
now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after He was raised
from the dead.
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Commentary:
1-3. There are some very significant things in this account: we find the disciples
“by the Sea of Tiberias”, which means they have done what the risen Christ had
told them to do (cf. Matthew 28:7); they are together, which shows that there is
a close fraternity among them; Peter takes the initiative, which in a way shows
his authority; and they have gone back to their old jobs as fishermen, probably
waiting for our Lord to give them new instructions.
This episode is reminiscent of the first miraculous draught of fish (cf. Luke 5:1-
11), where our Lord promised Peter He would make him a fisher of men; now He
is going to confirm his mission as visible head of the Church.
4-8. The risen Jesus goes in search of His disciples, to encourage them and tell
them more about the great mission He has entrusted to them. This account des-
cribes a very moving scene, our Lord together with His own: “He passes by,
close to His Apostles, close to those souls who have given themselves to Him,
and they do not realize He is there. How often Christ is not only near us, but in
us; yet we still live in such a human way!... They, the disciples, recall what they
have heard so often from their Master’s lips: fisher of men, apostles. And they
realize that all things are possible, because it is He who is directing their fishing.
“Whereupon ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord!’ Love,
love is farsighted. Love is the first to appreciate kindness. The adolescent Apos-
tle, who felt a deep and firm affection for Jesus, because he loved Christ with all
the purity and tenderness of a heart that had never been corrupted, exclaimed:
‘It is the Lord!’”
“’When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes and sprang
into the sea.’ Peter personifies faith. Full of marvelous daring, he leaps into the
sea. With a love like John’s and a faith like Peter’s, what is there that can stop
us?” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 265-266).
9-14. We can sense here the deep impression this appearance of the risen Je-
sus must have made on the Apostles, and how sweet a memory St. John kept
of it. After His resurrection Jesus showed the same tenderness as characterized
His public ministry. He makes use of natural things — the fire, the fish, etc. — to
show that He really is there, and He maintains the familiar tone typical of when
He lived with the disciples.
The Fathers and Doctors of the Church have often dwelt on the mystical mea-
ning of this episode: the boat is the Church, whose unity is symbolized by the
net which is not torn; the sea is the world, Peter in the boat stands for supreme
authority of the Church, and the number of fish signifies the number of the elect
(cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, “Commentary on St. John, in loc.”).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.