Considering the Epilogue, Chapter 21 -- The great haul of fish, the supremacy of St Peter, and the death of St. John.
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Catholic Commentary on
the Gospel of St John
Session 12 – Epilogue
and Review
I. The Epilogue of St. John’s Gospel,
Chapter 21
Many other signs also did
Jesus in the sight of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that you may believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing, you may have life
in his name.
(John 20:30-31)
A.
As the Gospel began with a prologue, so St John concludes with an epilogue.
B.
There is no reason to doubt that St John
wrote this passage – for he often speaks of himself in the third person.
II. Why 153 Fish? - Simon Peter
went up and drew the net to land, full of great fishes, one hundred and
fifty-three. And although there were so many, the net was not broken. (John
21:11)
A. St. Augustine says: The catch of fish tells us
of the salvation of men, but man cannot be saved without keeping the 10
commandments. But, on account of the fall, man cannot even keep the
commandments without the help of grace and the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Moreover, the number 7 signifies holiness, since God blessed the 7th day and
made it holy (Gen 2:3). But 10 plus 7 equals 17, and if all the numbers from 1
to 17 are added together (1+2+3…+17), they equal 153. Hence, the 153 fish
signify that all the elect are to be saved by the gift of grace (7) and the
following of the commandments (10).
B. Or rather: St. Augustine notes that there were 7
disciples in the boat (Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, James and
John, and two other disciples), who had all been filled with the 7 gifts of the
Holy Spirit. 7 times 7 equals 49. 49 plus 1 makes the perfection of 50. Now, 3
is the number of the Trinity and also of our faith (which is founded on the
Trinity); but 50 times 3 (for our faith) is 150, plus 3 (for the Trinity) is
153. Hence, the 153 fish signify the fullness of the Church (7), filled with
the Holy Spirit (7), perfected (50) in her faith (3) in the most holy Trinity
(3).
C. St. Gregory the Great
says: 10
and 7 are perfect numbers, which added together make 17. This, times 3, for the
perfection of faith in the Trinity, makes 51. This, times 3 again, makes 153.
D. St. Cyril breaks 153 into 100 (the
great number of gentiles to be saved), plus 50 (the smaller number of Jews to
be saved), plus 3 (the Trinity who saves all). Others follow St. Cyril, but
modify this as follows: 100 (the multitude of married lay faithful in the
Church), plus 50 (the many faithful who commit themselves later in life to
continence either living as widows or living with their spouse in a
brother-sister relationship), plus 3 (the precious few who commit their whole
lives to celibacy as virgins) equals 153 (the whole Church taken together as a
single body).
E. Perhaps most convincing
of all is the theory of St. Jerome: It was thought at that time that there were only 153
species of fish in all the world. Hence, the disciples caught 153 fish,
signifying that men of every class and time would be saved through the Gospel.
III. St Peter and St John - Jesus saith to him: So I
will have him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? Follow thou me. This
saying therefore went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not
die. And Jesus did not say to him: He should not die; but: So I will have him
to remain till I come, what is it to thee? (John 21:22-23)
A. Dante’s Divine Comedy
From
Canto XXV of the Paradiso: When Dante has finished speaking with St. James, he
receives the vision of St. John the Evangelist. Beatrice introduces the
Beloved, then the Disciple speaks for himself.
“This is the one who lay upon the breast
Of him our Pelican; and this is he
To the great office from the cross elected.”
My Lady thus; but therefore none the more
Did move her sight from its attentive gaze
Before or afterward these words of hers.
Even as a man who gazes, and endeavours
To see the eclipsing of the sun a little,
And who, by seeing, sightless doth become,
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So I became before that latest fire,
While it was said, “Why dost thou daze thyself
To see a thing which here hath no existence?
Earth in the earth my body is, and shall be
With all the others there, until our number
With the eternal position tallies.
With the two garments in the blessed cloister
Are the two lights alone that have ascended:
And this shalt thou take back into your world.”
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While
Dante seeks to see the matter of John’s body passing in front of the glory of
his soul – after the fashion of the moon eclipsing the sun – the Evangelist
explains that his body is “earth in the earth” and that only his soul is in
heaven. In other words, St. John is truly dead, his soul separated from his
body – his body awaits the general resurrection. Moreover, St. John tells Dante
that only two bodies are now in heaven, “the two lights alone that have ascended”
– these, of course, are the bodies of Jesus and Mary.
B. St. Augustine corrects
the legend
In
the 124th Tractate of his Commentary on John, St. Augustine discusses a similar
legend about the Beloved Disciple. It seems that a myth had grown up according to
which John was not really dead and had never really died, but was only asleep
in his tomb – hence the Lord said, “So I will have him remain till I come.”
There was even a rumor, supported by what St. Augustine calls “not unreliable
witnesses,” that the ground in Ephesus where St. John was buried would rise and
fall as though someone were breathing, or even snoring.
In
this final homily on John’s Gospel, St. Augustine insists that the Beloved
Disciple has indeed died and that his body lies dead in the ground. What is
also most interesting, St. Augustine discusses the question of Moses’ death as
well – since many in his time, and not a few today even, held that Moses’ body
was not dead in the ground but had been re-united to his soul. The principle
text regarding the state of Moses body is the Transfiguration, since Moses
seems to appear in his proper body to witness to the Christ. St. Augustine
maintains Moses’ body was temporarily re-united to his soul, for the time of
the apparition, but that it was separated again immediately afterward and
returned to the dust (hence, Moses rose and died again). It is good to note,
none have been so bold as to claim that either Moses’ body or Elijah’s have yet
been glorified – I have written on this question here.
Tractate
124 is quite simply the greatest homily ever given on St. John’s Gospel – in
it, St. Augustine contrasts the active and contemplative lives by comparing
John and Peter.
C. The Active and
Contemplative Lives -- Why did Jesus say that John would remain?
Jesus
said this not as speaking of John in his proper person, but of the life which
John symbolized – the contemplative life. The contemplative life (as opposed to
the active life) will remain, for it is already a participation in the life of
heaven. The active life, on the other hand, is of this world and will pass away
together with this world. When we die, the active life ceases completely; but
the contemplative life is brought to perfection in heaven. This is the
interpretation given by St. Augustine, it was highly influential on St. Thomas’
discussion of the active and contemplative lives in ST II-II, qq.179-182.
1. Peter loves more -- When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith
to Simon Peter: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to
him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs. (John
21:15)
2. John is more beloved -- Peter turning about, saw that disciple whom
Jesus loved following, who also leaned on his breast at supper and said: Lord,
who is he that shall betray thee? Him
therefore when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: Lord, and what shall this man
do? Jesus saith to him: So I will have
him to remain till I come, what is it to thee? Follow thou me. (John
21:20-22)
