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The Holy Land in a week · Stop 19 · Day 6

Church of the Primacy of St Peter

In the Bible

After the Resurrection Jesus stood on the shore at dawn; the disciples caught a great number of fish, ate with Him by a charcoal fire, and He asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?”

John 21:4–17Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not recognize that it was Jesus. So He called out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” “No,” they answered. He told them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it there, and they were unable to haul it in because of the great number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came ashore in the boat. They dragged in the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many, the net was not torn. “Come, have breakfast,” Jesus said to them. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, “Who are You?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after He was raised from the dead. When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.” Jesus replied, “Feed My lambs.” Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.” Jesus told him, “Shepherd My sheep.” Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?” “Lord, You know all things,” he replied. “You know I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

Tradition

By tradition, the flat rock in the chapel, called Mensa Christi (the Table of Christ), is where Jesus set the meal for the disciples.

Here today

A small black basalt chapel of 1933 at the water's edge, on the site of an older church; steps cut in the rock go down into the lake.

Through the eyes of old pilgrims

And near there is a place below the hill by that sea of Tiberias, and in that place Christ appeared to his disciples the third time after the resurrection … and they saw by the net a fire and bread, and fish cooked on it … there a church is built in the name of the holy apostles.Abbot Daniel, 1106–1108 · our translation

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Land outlines: Natural Earth (public domain).