I have been reading the final chapter of Sister Vandana's Waters of Fire (Amity House, 1988) in which she reflects on John 21 and the story of a bunch of the disciples going out fishing and then being invited to breakfast on the beach by Jesus. It is one of my favourite Gospel stories - what a breakfast it must have been!
I am not sure who counted, but we are told that the catch was of 153 fish. Sister Vandana comments (p. 143): "The 153 fish (whatever symbolism one may see in the number, and many suggestions have been offered), depicts again the extravagance and overflowing generosity of God's love. God does not calculate. Love means giving to the full and overflowing - like the abundant waves and gushing streams, like the overflowing river and the vast ocean."
We do tend to adopt a calculated approach - like Peter asking if it was enough to forgive 'seventy times seven'. Would that we could learn, as we should, from the generosity of God!
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