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John 21:1-14
Jesus said to them, âCome and have breakfast.â

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes,

Painting by Jean Jouvenet (1644-1717),

Painted circa 1706,

Oil on canvas

Â© Louvre Museum, Paris / Alamy

Gospel Reading

At that time: Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, âI am going fishing.â They said to him, âWe will go with you.â They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, âChildren, do you have any fish?â They answered him, âNo.â He said to them, âCast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.â So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, âIt is the Lord!â When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 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 metres off.

When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, âBring some of the fish that you have just caught.â So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, âCome and have breakfast.â Now none of the disciples dared ask him, âWho are you?â They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Reflection on the painting

In todayâs Gospel, the risen Lord comes to a group of disciples who had all, in one way or another, let him down during the days of his Passion... all except the beloved disciple. Yet their failure does not keep him away. He comes to them as they are, and even finds them in the midst of another kind of failure: after a long night of fishing, they have caught nothing. These seasoned fishermen who went back to fishing after the crucifixion, stand empty-handed. They went back to their old life, but it didn't work out for them. It is into that very moment, Â into their tiredness, their disappointment, their sense of things not working, that Jesus appears. And everything begins to change. At his word, the nets fill. At his invitation, their vocation is renewed. Those who could not catch fish are being prepared to become fishers of men.

Then comes a second invitation: âCome and have breakfast.â The risen Lord does not stand at a distance; he draws us close and shares a meal. He restores communion where it had been broken, not with reproach, but with quiet generosity. No harsh words, no reminders of past failures... only presence, invitation, and nourishment. This is how the Lord meets us too. In the nights of our own shortcomings, when things seem empty or fruitless, he stands on the shore of our lives. He calls out, not to condemn, but to invite... He invites us back to mass and to share communion with him.

Our painting by Jean Jouvenet illustrates the moment the disciples struggle to bring the miraculous catch on shore. There is a real sense of movement and beautiful chaos. A few disciples have already recognised the risen Lord. They stand near him in quiet awe, their hands clasped in prayer, caught between action and adoration. Jouvenet beautifully holds these two movements together of the frantic labour of hauling in the fish, and the joy of encountering their friend, Jesus. To the right, a tent is painted, almost easy to miss. It hints at what is to come: not just the miracle of the catch, but the invitation to communion: âCome and have breakfast.â The scene is poised on the threshold between effort (fishing) and rest (sharing a meal). The fish speak of mission the come; the tent speaks of communion.

by Father Patrick van der Vorst

The Christian Art Conference

14 November 2026 | London

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John 21:1-14Jesus said to them, âCome and have breakfast.â

Gospel Reading

John 21:1-14
Jesus said to them, âCome and have breakfast.â