4/10/2015 – Friday of the First Week of Easter – John 21:1-14

      French Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin died on this day – April 10 – sixty years ago.  He was a renowned scientist – a paleontologist and geologist – who actually took part in the discovery of Peking Man.  Today, Chardin’s work in theology and philosophy is still consider fresh and ground breaking, being praised by Vatican officials including Pope Benedict XVI, who admires Chardin’s vision of the cosmos as a living host.   His book, The Phenomenon of Man, gives a revolutionary account of the unfolding of the cosmos and the evolution of matter to humanity to ultimately a reunion with Christ. Yet, during his lifetime, the Vatican prohibited him from publishing any of his theological works.  He was not allowed to give public lectures on his theology or to take an academic appointment in theology.  He obeyed these prohibitions according to his vow of obedience.  Sometimes those who expand the way we we see Christ can be viewed as being too radical for their times or being heretics.  Yet, in time, their theology can be appreciated for its richness and the way it help us see our faith in a new way. In time, their theology actually becomes main stream and part of the canon of faith. 

     During the Easter season, we hear about how the apostles and the members of the Early Church grew in their understanding of Jesus and his resurrection.  Like today, with Jesus’ appearance to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, they often did not recognize Jesus at first.  Just as we recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread around the Lord’s table at the Eucharist, the disciples finally recognize Jesus for who he is after he prepares a meal for them to share together.  As it took the Church many decades to appreciate the ground-breaking work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, it sometimes takes us a while to understand who Jesus really is for us in our journey of faith.  As we journey through the Easter season these next weeks, may the reality of Christ and his teachings permeate our lives.  And may we grow in our understand of him.