Albert Einstein was one of the greatest scientific minds of the 20th century. He was teaching physics at Princeton University here in the US when he was traveling by train one day. The conductor came down the aisle to punch the passengers’ tickets. Einstein, though he was a brilliant physicist, was famous for being very absent-minded and forgetful. When he saw the conductor approaching, he realized that he could not find his ticket. He checked his coat pockets, vest pockets, shirt pockets, and pants pockets – no ticket anywhere. The conductor kindly spoke to him when he saw him frantically searching for the ticket: “Dr. Einstein, don’t worry, I know you, and I trust that you bought a ticket.” After the conductor punched the rest of the tickets in the railroad car, he looked back to see Einstein on his hands and knees, looking under the seats, still searching for the ticket. The conductor returned to him and tried to reassure him, “Dr. Einstein, I told you not to worry. You don’t need to show me your ticket. I am sure that you bought one.” On his hands and knees, Einstein looked up to him, saying, “Young man, you know me, you trust me, and you told me that I don’t need to show you my ticket. I understand, and, for that, I am very grateful. But young man, I have to find that ticket, because I have no idea where I am going.” I wonder: As disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, do we know where we are going? Do we have our destination in sight? Or are we unsure of where we need to go?
Our Gospel stories during this joyful Easter season help us to understand the reality of the resurrected Jesus in our lives. Last week, we heard the wonderful story of Thomas the Apostle, of how Jesus approached Thomas in the midst of his doubts and unbelief, helping Thomas to believe and to grow in his faith. Just as Jesus searched out Thomas and never gave up on him, in today’s Gospel, Jesus goes in search of the disciples in the midst of their disappointment and their sorrows and their uncertainty. In the first week of Easter, during one of the daily Gospel readings, Luke’s Gospel recounted how after meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus, the disciples wondered if they had seen a ghost. In today’s Gospel, Jesus helps them understand the reality of his resurrection, that they are not hallucinating or seeing a ghost. Jesus performs a miracle for them at the Sea of Tiberius in the midst of their fishing trip, having them catch more fish than their nets could bear. Then he shows them great hospitality by preparing them breakfast. A ghost or an apparition certainly wouldn’t cook breakfast and then share a meal with them. We remember how in Christ’s passion, Peter denied Jesus three times. Today, as Jesus asks Peter if he loves him three times, he affirms Peter, encouraging him to shepherd his flock and to tend his sheep.
Like Einstein not knowing the destination on his train trip, sometime our words and our actions show that we, too, are not sure of our final destination. Like the disciples in the Gospel today, we can be searching for purpose and meaning on our journey, seemingly not sure of where to look. Jesus reassures us that he is our Lord and our Savior. Just as Jesus rose from the dead to new life, the new life that we have in him gives us both purpose and responsibility in our lives of faith. Jesus’ mission, the Church’s mission, the mission of those first apostles – that is our mission as well. It is the mission of learning and growing in our faith and then sharing that faith with others, bringing Christ’s message to our corner of the world. May we keep our eyes on our spiritual destiny. May we not lose sight of who we are as disciples of Christ.
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