Reaching the next level

Jesus, help me see how help from other people can show me how to win at a lot of things! Amen.

Seven Apostles went fishing but caught nothing. Then a man on shore said, "Caught anything to eat? Throw your nets there, and you will." The Apostles caught 153 fish! Then they knew the man was Jesus, alive again. Peter got so excited that he jumped off the boat and swam to Jesus. Jesus cooked breakfast, and they all ate together.

Kids who play video games know that it helps to have friends who like the same ones. That way, if you get stuck, someone can give you advice on how to get to the next level. A friend's clues can take you a long way toward winning the game!

In this week's Gospel (John 21:1-14), Jesus is like the friend with tips about reaching the next level. The Apostles are fishing for their dinner, but not catching a thing. Then Jesus comes along and points out where the fish are hiding, and they get a great catch.

In a lot of video games, there are bonuses -- extra points you can get for catching something that flies by, for instance. Of course, Jesus and the Apostles weren't playing a game; but when Jesus gave them the exact advice they needed, they got a bonus: They realized that the man who miraculously knew where the fish were could only be Jesus, who had come back to life!

Winning a video game doesn't really give you anything but the satisfaction of having won. For the Apostles, following Jesus' advice meant winning in two ways: They got all the fish they needed, and they learned that their best friend, Jesus, was alive again just like He promised!