In today's Gospel reading, St. John describes the scene of seven disciples after they had been fishing all night long. "When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread." That morning, the Risen Lord prepared a meal for them. This meal by the sea was a Eucharist. The Eucharist is the meal of the Lord's disciples around him.

This Gospel reading is very appropriate as we celebrate First Communions in our parish. We have 24 children and adolescents who will receive the Eucharist for the first time this weekend. They have been coming to Mass all their lives, and just as the apostles that night by the sea, these children have caught nothing to eat at Mass. Sunday after Sunday, they wished to receive the Lord in the sacrament, but they were not able. Today’s Mass is different for them.

Today, just as the Lord said to the seven disciples by the sea, he says to them, “Children, come, have breakfast.” These children will hear this invitation as I speak these words in persona Christi, “Behold, the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.” Yes, dear children, the Lord invites you to his table and says to you, “come, have breakfast.” Breakfast literally means breaking the fast. Fast is a period when you do not eat. These children have fasted from the Eucharist their entire lives, and today they break this fast. Today is a day of great joy for these children and their families.

St. John also tells us that, “And none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they realized it was the Lord.” The Lord's disciples who have come after the Apostles, us included, through faith, recognize that the Eucharist is the Lord himself.

Faithful disciples do not dare to ask whether the consecrated bread and wine are really the Lord because they know that they truly are. This is the faith that these children have in their hearts today. Now that they have reached the age of reason, they have finally come to understand the mystery of the Eucharist and are thus ready for their First Communion.

St. John concludes the Gospel story this way: “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you’”. The Lord is pleased when we talk to him after receiving him sacramentally in the Eucharist.

After receiving holy Communion, we talk to the Lord about two things. First, we thank him especially for his death on the cross for our salvation and for remaining sacramentally in the Eucharist. Second, we tell the Lord how much we love him. That morning by the sea, St. Peter answered the Lord, "Lord, you know that I love you." Among the apostles, St. Peter was the one who loved the Lord the most. We must love the Lord with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our strength, and with all our minds.

In all the appearance stories of the Risen Lord, there is a moment of commissioning and sending. "Feed my lambs" was the commission given to St. Peter in today’s Gospel reading. The Lord's lambs are his flock, that is, the universal Church. This final dialogue between the Lord and St. Peter was the Gospel reading for Pope Francis's funeral Mass. As the Peter of our times, Pope Francis was entrusted with caring for the entire people of God.

At each Eucharist, the Lord commissions and sends those who receive his precious Body and Blood, to care for his flock, that is, all the people we encounter daily. Just as the Lord commissioned and sent forth the apostles, we are to pass on the love of God given to us here to others. Let us ask the Risen Lord to help us pass on the love of God given to us at this most holy sacrament to others.