Friday within the Octave of Easter
10 April 2026
Again?
The Lord is Risen.
In today’s Gospel, we hear something very specific: “Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.” That word—again—matters. Because it tells us something essential about the Resurrection: Jesus doesn’t just rise once and disappear. He reveals himself again… and again… and again.
Think about where the disciples are. They’ve already seen the risen Jesus. They know the tomb is empty. They’ve heard the message. And yet—what are they doing? They go back to fishing. Back to what they know. Back to what is familiar. Almost as if nothing has changed.
And if we’re honest, that’s not just their story. That’s ours too.
Think about how different this week feels than the last six. We celebrate Easter. We hear that Jesus is risen. And then we go right back to our routines, our habits, our old ways of thinking—as if the Resurrection hasn’t really changed anything.
And so what does Jesus do?
He reveals himself again.
He comes to them right where they are. They’ve caught nothing. All night, no fish. Effort without fruit. And from the shore, Jesus calls out, “...have you caught anything to eat?” They answer, “No.” And He tells them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat.” And suddenly—the nets are overflowing.
In that moment, recognition begins. “It is the Lord.”
Why does Jesus do it this way? Because this is not the first time. At the beginning of their call, there was another miraculous catch of fish. Jesus is bringing them back—but not backwards. He’s revealing that everything they thought they knew is now fulfilled in Him.
He reveals himself again, not because He changed—but because they need to see again.
And that’s the key. The Resurrection is constant. Our awareness is not.
We forget. We drift. We return to old patterns. And so Jesus comes again—not as a repetition, but as a renewal. He meets us in the ordinary. On a shoreline. In a boat. In a routine day. And He reveals himself again.
Now connect that with the first reading. Peter stands before the authorities and proclaims boldly: “There is no salvation through anyone else… no other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” That’s a very different Peter than the one who went back to fishing.
What changed?
He encountered the risen Jesus—not just once, but again and again—until it took hold. Until it transformed him.
And this is what “again” means for us. It means Jesus is not finished revealing himself to you. Not on Easter Sunday. Not even in this Octave. But today. Again.
Truth is we need repeated encounters. One moment of faith is not enough to sustain a lifetime. One experience of grace is not enough to carry us through every doubt, every struggle, every return to old habits.
So Jesus comes again. In the Eucharist. In His Word. In prayer. In the quiet moments we don’t expect. He stands on the shore of our ordinary lives and calls out to us.
And often, just like the disciples, we don’t recognize Him right away. But He is there. Calling. Guiding. Providing. Revealing. Again.
And maybe that’s exactly what you need to hear today. Not that you missed your chance. Not that you should have recognized Him sooner. But that He is still coming. Still revealing. Still calling you. Again.
Because the Resurrection is not a past event to remember. It is a present reality to encounter.
And the Lord is patient. He knows we need time. He knows we forget. He knows we go back to fishing. So He comes to us—again.
And eventually, like the disciples, something shifts. Recognition dawns. “It is the Lord.” And everything changes. Not because He finally showed up—But because we finally saw.
So today, don’t be discouraged if your faith feels ordinary. Don’t assume you’ve missed something. Instead, look again. Listen again.
Because the Lord is risen… And He is still revealing himself—Again.