There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas, who is called Didymus, and Nathanael, who was of Cana of Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.

“(Hom. lxxxvii) As our Lord was not with them regularly, and the Spirit was not given them, and they had received no commission, and had nothing to do, they followed the trade of fishermen: And on this wise shewed He Himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee; he who was called by Philip, and the sons of Zebedee, i. e. James and John, and two other of His disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing.”

“Having set down two appearances of Christ to the disciples, the Evangelist here sets down a third appearance. And if we consider the order and purpose of these appearances, it is clear that in the first he showed the authority of his divinity, by breathing the Holy Spirit there; in the second, the identity of his person, by showing the scars; in the third, the truth of his rising nature, by eating with them. Now this part is divided into two. In the first he shows what the Lord displayed in common to the several disciples; in the second, what he showed specially to the two beloved disciples, at the place where it says, "When therefore they had dined," and so on. Concerning the first, first the title of the apparition is set down; second, the manner of the apparition, at the place where it says, "Now he manifested himself thus"; third, the epilogue of the apparition, at the place where it says, "This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested." Now in the title three things are designated: namely, time, manner, and place. The time indeed, because it says "after these things," that is, after what has been said before. He says this pointedly, because, as has been said, he was not continually with them, but appeared to them at intervals. The reason for this is that he had not risen again to the same life, but to a glorious life, in which the Angels are, and in which the blessed will be. Daniel 2:11: "except the gods," that is, the Angels, "whose conversation is not with men." But since he had made a certain conclusion above, saying, "But these things are written," why does he add this narrative here? To this Augustine assigns a mystical reason. For by this apparition the glory of the future life is signified, when he "will appear to us as he is." And therefore he set this down after the ending, so as to make more evident the place where he would give that glory to be understood. Now he sets down the manner, because "Jesus manifested himself again at the sea of Tiberias." For it belongs to the nature of a glorious body, and to its power, that it can be seen and not be seen, as it wills, unlike a body that is not glorious: and therefore he says "manifested," that is, he presented himself as visible. In this way too he is said "to appear," which is the same as "to be manifested." Acts 1:3: "appearing to them for forty days." For, as Ambrose says, that appears which has it in its power to be seen and not to be seen. Now the place is "at the sea of Tiberias," which is the sea of Galilee; but it is called "of Tiberias" from the city of Tiberias, built in honor of Tiberius Caesar. Now the Evangelist sets this down, first indeed, to show that the promise made to the disciples was fulfilled. Matthew 28:7: "He will go before you into Galilee." Second, to show that the Lord had taken away a great part of the fear from the hearts of the disciples, so that henceforth they no longer remained shut up in the house, but went forth as far as Galilee. Consequently, where it says "Now he manifested himself," the apparition itself is set down, and first the persons to whom it was made are set down; second, the office of these same persons, at the place where it says, "Simon Peter said to him," and so on; third, the manner of the apparition, at the place where it says, "And when morning was come, Jesus stood on the shore." Now the persons to whom he manifested himself are seven; hence he says, "Now there were together Simon Peter," who had denied him, "and Thomas who is called Didymus," who had not been present at the first apparition, "and Nathanael, who was of Cana in Galilee," who, as is believed, was the brother of Philip, of whom above in chapter 1, "and the sons of Zebedee," namely James and John, "and two others of his disciples," who are not expressly named. By this number a mystical meaning is signified: the apparition of the future glory, which will be after the seventh age, namely in the eighth, which is that of those who rise again. Isaiah, last chapter, 23: "There shall be month after month, and sabbath after sabbath; and all flesh shall come to worship before my face." Now the office in which they were engaged is that of fishing; hence he says, "Simon Peter said to them, I go a-fishing," and first Peter's invitation to this office is set down; second, the assent of the others; third, the carrying-out of the office. He invites them indeed to the office, saying "I go a-fishing": by which the office of preaching is mystically signified. Matthew 4:19: "I will make you to become fishers of men." So then Peter said, "I go a-fishing," by which it is mystically signified that he takes up others to share in his solicitude and preaching. Exodus 18:22: "That it may be easier for you, dividing the burden with others." But against this, Luke 9:62: "No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Now it is agreed that Peter had left off fishing: how then did he go back and look back? The answer, according to Augustine: if he had returned to the office of fishing before the resurrection of Christ and the inspection of the wounds, we might think he did this out of despair. But now, after he had been restored to him living from the tomb, after the places of the wounds had been inspected and the Holy Spirit received by his breathing upon them, they became fishers of fish just as they had been before. By which it is given to be understood that a preacher can, by his own lawful craft, seek the necessary means of livelihood, the integrity of his apostolate being preserved, if he has it from no other source. For if blessed Paul, so as not to burden others, learned a craft which he did not know, in order to procure for himself the necessary living: how much more could Peter do this from his own lawful craft? But it is said that this ought to be done only when one does not have it from elsewhere. But it is agreed that he always has it and had it, because the Lord promised, saying, Matthew 6:33: "Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you," namely, the necessary things. To this it must be said that it is true that they are added, but with us cooperating: and therefore the Lord fulfilled this with Peter cooperating. For who else supplied the fish that were caught, if not the Lord himself? But it must be noted, according to Gregory, that there is a twofold office. One which occupies the mind and hinders spiritual things; and to such an office one must not return, nor procure one's living by it, as is the case with tax-collecting and the like. Hence we do not read that Matthew returned to the tax office. But there is another which can be exercised without sin and without occupying the mind, as is the office of this kind of fishing; and therefore to take up this business again after his conversion was not a fault. Now the assent of the others is set down when he says, "We also come with you": in which an example is given to preachers and prelates, of exhorting one another mutually to conversion. Proverbs 18:19: "A brother that is helped by his brother is like a strong city"; Ecclesiasticus 50:13 (Vulgate): "About him a crown of brethren, like a planting of cedar on Mount Lebanon." Now the carrying-out of the office is set down when he says, "They went forth and went up into the ship, and that night they caught nothing." And he touches on three things that preachers ought to do. First indeed, to go forth from the company of sinners: 2 Corinthians 6:17: "Go out from among them," namely, the Chaldeans, "and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you." From attachment to carnal things: Genesis 12:1: "Go forth out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and out of thy father's house." And from the contemplation of rest: Song of Songs 7:11: "Let us go forth into the field, let us abide in the vineyards; let us go up early to the vineyards," and so on. Second, they ought to go up into the ship, that is, to advance in the charity of the unity of the Church, which is called a ship. 1 Peter 3:20: "In the days of Noah, when the ark was being built, in which a few," that is, eight souls, "were saved by water." Likewise, in the ship of the cross, by taking up the mortification of the flesh. Galatians, last chapter, 14: "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world"; Wisdom 14:7: "Blessed is the wood by which justice is wrought." Third, total confidence in the help of Christ; hence "that whole night they caught nothing," because as long as divine help and the interior preacher are lacking, the tongue of the preacher labors in vain; but then they catch when the light comes that illumines hearts. Psalm 42:3: "Send forth thy light and thy truth." Hence in this way night is called the lack of divine help. John 9:4: "The night cometh, when no man can work." Or, "in the night," that is, in the Old Testament, "they caught nothing," because they were not able to bring the Gentiles to the faith. Romans 13:12: "The night is passed." But according to Augustine, they were fishing by night because they were still fearful. Now the manner and order of the apparition is set down when he says, "And when morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore," and first he shows a bodily inspection; second, the knowledge of himself, at the place where it says, "Children, have you any meat?"; third, a familiar eating together, at the place where it says, "Jesus said to them: Bring hither of the fish which you have now caught." He says therefore, "and when morning was now come." Now mystically by morning is understood the glory of the resurrection. Psalm 29:6: "In the evening weeping shall have place, and in the morning gladness." Likewise, the state of eternal life. Psalm 5:5: "In the morning I will stand before thee, and will see." But whereas before the passion, in a similar miracle, he did not stand on the shore but in the ship, why does he stand on the shore after the passion? The reason for this is that the sea signifies the disturbance of the present age, while the shore is the boundary of the sea. Jeremiah 5:22: "Who hast set the sand a bound for the sea, an everlasting ordinance, which it shall not pass." Now Christ, before the passion, stood in the sea, because he had a mortal body; but after the resurrection he had already gone beyond the corruption of the flesh, and therefore he stood on the shore. It was from the ignorance of the disciples "that they knew not that it was Jesus." By which it is given to be understood that in the sea of this present fluctuation we cannot know the secrets of Christ. Isaiah 64:4: "The eye hath not seen, O God, besides thee, what things thou hast prepared for them that wait for thee." Consequently, where it says "Jesus therefore said to them," and so on, he leads them to the knowledge of himself, and first is set down their being brought back to the knowledge of him; second, the order, at the place where it says, "The disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said," and so on. Concerning the first, he does three things. First is set down the Lord's inquiry about food, saying, "Children, have you any meat?" For the disciples believed that it was not Christ, but some buyer of fish; and therefore he speaks to them as a buyer. Now mystically he asks food of us, by which he may be refreshed: which is obedience to the commandments of God. Above, chapter 4:34: "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, that I may perfect his work." "They answered him," namely, the disciples, "No," namely, from ourselves. Romans 7:18: "For to will is present with me; but to accomplish that which is good, I find not." Second, the command, "cast the net on the right side of the ship." But in Luke 5:4 a similar deed is recorded: yet he did not command them there to cast it to the right side, as here. The reason for this is that this fishing signifies the fishing by which the predestined are drawn to eternal life, into which none are brought in except the sons of the right hand. Proverbs 4:27: "The Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand; but the ways that are on the left hand are perverse"; Psalm 117:16: "The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength." But in the other fishing was signified the calling to the present Church; and therefore the net is cast indifferently from every side, because from every one they are caught and drawn to him. Luke 14:21: "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes." Consequently the obedience of the disciples is set down, when he says "They cast the net therefore"; and the effect of the obedience, because "now they were not able to draw it, for the multitude of fishes," that is, of those who were to be saved. Genesis 22:18: "In thy seed shall all the nations be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice"; Apocalypse 7:9: "I saw a great multitude, which no man could number." Now this fishing differs from that in Luke, because in that one the net is broken: thus the Church suffers tearings through dissensions and heresies. But in this one the net is not broken, because in the future life there will be no tearing. Likewise, in that one the fish are drawn to the ship. But in this one, to the shore: because the saints who are in that glory are hidden from us. Psalm 30:21: "Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy face from the disturbance of men."”

“There were together,.... In one place, in one house, in some town, or city of Galilee, not far from the sea of Tiberias; nor, as very likely, far from the mountain where Christ had promised to meet them. Simon Peter, who though he had denied his Lord, dearly loved him, and truly believed in him, kept with the rest of his disciples, and was waiting for another interview with him: and Thomas, called Didymus; who, though for a while an unbeliever with respect to the resurrection of Christ, was now fully assured of it, and, for the future, was unwilling to lose any opportunity of meeting with his risen Lord. And Nathanael of Cana in Galilee; an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile. Dr. Lightfoot thinks he is the same with Bartholomew, and so one of the eleven. The Syriac version reads it, "Cotne", and the Persic, Catneh of Galilee; no doubt the same place is meant, where Jesus turned water into wine, of which Nathanael was an inhabitant: and the sons of Zebedee; who were James, whom Herod killed with the sword, and John, the writer of this Gospel: and two other of his disciples; who are thought to be Andrew and Philip; which is very likely, since they were both of Bethsaida, Joh 1:44 a city in Galilee, and not far from the sea of Tiberias. Andrew is particularly mentioned by Nonnus: so that here were seven of them in all; four of them, according to this account, being wanting; who must be James the less, the brother of our Lord, Judas called Lebbaeus, and surnamed Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, or Zealot, and Matthew the publican.”