Today we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord, when Jesus returned to the right hand of the Father. He had completed his work here with us. He had done all that he could to let us know and feel God’s love for each of us, to teach us how to live with kindness and forgiveness for others, and to offer us the gift of eternal life with him.

Sixth Sunday of Easter/Sexto Domingo de Pascua Today’s third reading is taken from the Gospel of St. John. Even though we are in Easter season we dip back into the farewell discourse of Jesus at the Last Supper.

In today’s Gospel Jesus makes a bold and clear statement to his disciples. “I give you a new commandment: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

“I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation,race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb…” (Revelations 7:9)

Today’s gospel is a different sort of ‘fish story’. After the resurrection, the disciples were feeling a little lost. Jesus was no longer with them in the same way that he was before and they lost their enthusiasm for doing the good works they used to do with him. So, they went back to their old ways – they went fishing. Jesus knew that they needed some motivation so, although he no longer looked the same after the resurrection, he paid them a visit and made them breakfast. They recognized his presence.