The logic of the Eucharist

May 02, 2025

3rd Sunday of Easter (C)
Readings: Acts of the Apostle 5:27-32, 40-41;
Revelation 5:11-14;
Gospel: John 21:1-19

Most of us would be familiar with this staple Offertory hymn by Kevin Nichols in our parishes — In Bread We Bring You, Lord. Recently, I had a renewed sense of appreciation for it, especially the last four lines: “Take all that daily toil, plants in our heart’s poor soil. Take all we start and spoil, each hopeful dream. The chances we have missed, the graces we resist, Lord, in Thy Eucharist, take and redeem.” I imagine that this is what Jesus was doing when He said to His disciples “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” (cf. Jn 21:10).

The Gospel for this Sunday recounts an episode of the disciples who decided to go fishing at the prompting of Simon Peter. This effort of fishing for an entire night however, yielded no fruit. I am sure we can all identify with this sentiment – where our efforts seem so useless, when the work we put in seems lost. Missed opportunities, misplaced affections, misdirected emotions. “Bad” investments of time, talents, and treasures. How many of us have let out a sigh saying, “Sayang-lah. What a waste.”

In the Eucharist and with our Eucharistic Lord, nothing, absolutely nothing, is wasted. With God, there is no sayang-lah! The logic of the Eucharist – take, bless, break, give – demands that something must be given in order for it to be taken. What is given? Everything.

Jesus, standing on the shore of the lake, calls out to His disciples, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” (cf. Jn 21:5). When they respond in the negative, Jesus instructs them on where to cast the net, and once they do this, they are not even able to pull the net in because of the number of fish (cf. Jn 21:5-6).

Notice that Jesus does not replace, remove, or invalidate the work of His disciples. Rather, He honours it by giving it a new direction. The disciples did the same thing that they were doing the entire night: casting their nets to fish, but this time in another direction. God never negates, denies, or throws away our efforts. With God, nothing is wasted. He takes everything that we bring, just as it is, just as we are. God takes our efforts.

When the disciples return to shore, they find a curious scene, “they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread” (cf. Jn 21:9). Even though Jesus has something prepared, He still asks the disciples to bring something to this meal, “Bring some of the fish you just caught” (cf. Jn 21:10). Here, the cooperative aspect of the Eucharist is revealed. God is not content with man being a passive recipient of His grace, He wants to collaborate with man, He wants to work with man. God is not in the business of using man, but of working with Him; of letting man participate in His redeeming work. God takes the fruit of our efforts.

When Simon Peter goes to the net to retrieve the fish, John accounts the number and size of the catch: 153 large fish, then remarks that ‘even though there were so many, the net was not torn’ (cf. Jn 21:11). You and I may struggle and bend in our efforts, but grace will not break us. God is not a utilitarian. Grace operates in such a way that even the tools of our labours are not harmed. In the Eucharistic logic, they are redeemed and restored when man cooperates with grace.

Once Jesus receives the fish from them, He invites His disciples, “Come, have breakfast” (cf. Jn 21:12). This is not a patronising meal; it is not a reward for hard labour. In this meal, Jesus takes man’s contribution and adds it to what He Himself has prepared – “fruit of the earth and work of human hands” (cf. Roman Missal 3rd Edition) – and then restores it back to man. He cooperates with man to bring about the Eucharist, to continue His redeeming work in this world.

Jesus continues to desire working with man even when he fails; even when we spoil what we start. “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” (cf. Jn 21:15). Jesus doesn’t ask why Peter denied Him; He doesn’t blame Peter. He doesn’t say, “if you love Me,” he doesn’t put conditions or manipulate Peter. With these questions, Jesus is saying to Peter, “I still want to work with you, I still want to cooperate with you.” This is the logic of the Eucharist. Nothing is wasted or taken for granted. No one is excluded. Everything and everyone can be redeemed.

It is no wonder that the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life (cf. CCC 1324).