Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale282

stood alongside them, they netted a huge quantity of fish. My dear brothers

and sisters, if we place our trust in the Lord and follow his teachings, we will

always reap immense rewards.

Our first reading at Mass today is one that I know you love to hear, the

account of Paul's shipwreck on the coast of Malta, and his warm reception by

the people of these islands. Notice how the crew of the ship, in order to

survive, were forced to throw overboard the cargo, the ship's tackle, even

the wheat which was their only sustenance. Paul urged them to place their

trust in God alone, while the ship was tossed to and fro upon the waves. We

too must place our trust in him alone. It is tempting to think that today's

advanced technology can answer all our needs and save us from all the perils

and dangers that beset us. But it is not so. At every moment of our lives we

depend entirely on God, in whom we live and move and have our being. Only

he can protect us from harm, only he can guide us through the storms of life,

only he can bring us to a safe haven, as he did for Paul and his companions

adrift off the coast of Malta. They did as Paul urged them to do, and so it was

"that they all escaped safely to the land".1

More than any of the cargo we might carry with us - in terms of our

human accomplishments, our possessions, our technology- it is our relation-

ship with the Lord that provides the key to our happiness and our human

fulfilment. And he calls us to a relationship of love. Notice the question that

he put three times to Peter on the shore of the lake: « Simon, son of John, do

you love me? » On the basis of Peter's affirmative response, Jesus assigns him

a task - the task of feeding his flock. Here we see the basis of all pastoral

ministry in the Church. It is our love for the Lord that must inform every

aspect of our preaching and teaching, our celebration of the sacraments, and

our care for the people of God. It is our love for the Lord that moves us to

love those whom he loves, and to accept gladly the task of communicating his

love to those we serve. During our Lord's Passion, Peter denied him three

times. Now, after the Resurrection, Jesus invites him three times to avow his

love, in this way offering him healing and forgiveness and at the same time

entrusting him with his mission. The miraculous catch of fish underlined the

apostles' dependence on God for the success of their earthly projects. The

dialogue between Peter and Jesus underlined the need for divine mercy in

order to heal their spiritual wounds, the wounds of sin. In every area of our

1 Acts 27:44.