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A few years ago I picked up a John August Swanson work. Only a print unfortunately but still full of power in an abundance of colour.

So much colour.

Today’s post-resurrection encounter with Jesus reminds me of this great Swanson work which he named The Big Catch.

These fishermen previously endured an existence in black and white, just getting through each day, their regular routines dictated by the demands and fears of friends and foes.

That’s not really living at all – a mere existence, a survival, endurance, coping, managing, getting-through.

But too often it’s what we settle for, an endurance we accept as normal and inescapable.

But here they are today these disciples of Jesus, still overwhelmed by their limitations – fishermen who can’t even catch fish – and feeling shame and guilt at their abandonment of their friend and his mission. Yet Jesus comes to them, seeing them as they are, loving them, and making them truly productive.

Jesus is with them filling their pitiful existences with the cosmic and eternal colour.of abundant life.

They have heard that he has risen from the dead and he has appeared to them but they are still struggling to know what this means. It’s probable that they are even doubting their earlier experience of the risen Jesus. One sign of their uncertainty is that some of them have returned to their previous work as fishermen.

Peter has already been forgiven by Jesus, and this personal experience of undeserved love has transformed him into a fearless preacher of the power of Christ.

Peter doesn’t pull any punches in today’s first reading when standing as a prisoner before the rulers, elders, scribes and Annas the high priest:

“If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple, and asking us how he was healed, then I am glad to tell you all, and would indeed be glad to tell the whole people of Israel, that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man is able to stand up perfectly healthy, here in your presence, today.”

And then early one morning at the Sea of Tiberius Jesus calls to them from the shore: Have you caught anything friends?

After they had proved that they were not good friends (denying, abandoning etc.) Jesus still calls them friends.

I like the ordinariness of the question, “Have you caught anything friends?” Jesus asks them not about their level of faith and love (that will come soon) but about fishing, something they knew about, their ordinary practical human reality.

His question gives them a chance to express their feeling at their lack of success. I imagine that there would have been frustration with humour and even laughter when Jesus (even though at this stage they did not recognise him) suggests: “throw out the net to starboard and you’ll find something”.

Their success was immediate: they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in leading John to admit to Peter “It is the Lord!”

In is with this context of confidence that we pray for and with those whose names are listed. So many of you have added a word or two about your prayer intention. In the more than 2000 lives listed ever human experience is represented, from conception and into eternity.

Every set of initials is a life, rich in colour covering every emotion and the height. depth and breadth of human experience.

Wen someone asks me to pray for them or for someone they love I make a decision on the spot to do this, to pray for them.

1. I present their name or initials to God – or with our list below I consciously give the list to God, often, whenever i think of this during the day.
2. Sometimes I use formal prayers, perhaps an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.
3. Sometimes I pray saying ‘Jesus, you know the initial on this list who most needs to know your presence and power right now.’
4. And sometimes when I’m intentionally sitting with Jesus, I allow the image below to come to mind, and Jesus and I in silence together gaze at your initials, holding you and those you love in our communion.

An invitation to take this week,
the Easter Octave,
as an opportunity to experience
the risen Jesus with you
in every hour.

Set five minutes
twice a day
each day of this Easter Octave.
Diary these appointments with Jesus
and make these encounters
your priority this Easter Week.

and we continue to pray
especially for all those
who initials are listed below.

Send initials of those you would like us all to pray for this week to john@fff.org.nz. Click on the list to enlarge.