25 April 2027 · Syro-Malabar Rite
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“Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.” John 21:12
This Sunday carries the name of Mar Addai. The Church of the East has always honoured Addai and his disciple Mari as the apostles who carried the Gospel to Edessa and to Mesopotamia, and our Syro-Malabar Church, which shares that East Syriac heritage, prays at most of its Qurbanas the Anaphora of the Apostles Mar Addai and Mar Mari, one of the most ancient Eucharistic prayers still in use anywhere in the world. What do we know of Addai? The historian Eusebius, writing in the early fourth century, records a tradition he found in the archives of Edessa: after the Ascension, the apostle Thomas sent Thaddeus, one of the seventy disciples, to King Abgar of Edessa, who was healed and received the faith. The Syriac Teaching of Addai tells the same story with many additions. Historians cannot verify every detail, and we hold them as tradition, but the core is precious: Edessa became one of the first Christian cities, the cradle of Syriac Christianity, and its memory links Addai to Thomas, our own father in faith. In 2001, in guidelines for the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, the Holy See recognised the validity of this ancient anaphora even in the form used by the Assyrian Church of the East, which has no explicit narrative of the Last Supper. When our priest prays it, he prays in the words of a Church that has offered the Sacrifice in the language close to that of Jesus since the first centuries.
The readings of the Fifth Sunday of Resurrection begin with the Servant of the LORD in Isaiah. He is “deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers”, yet God promises: “Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves.” God gives the Servant “as a covenant to the people”, to say “to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’” The returning exiles will not hunger or thirst, “for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.” And all creation is invited to sing: “Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones.” The despised Servant who is exalted is Christ, rejected on Good Friday and raised at Easter. Paul quotes this very chapter when he writes, “See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!” In the Acts of the Apostles we see the prisoner of darkness called out. Saul, “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord”, sets out for Damascus with letters to arrest those “who belonged to the Way”. A light from heaven flashes around him, he falls to the ground, and a voice asks: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” The Risen Lord so identifies himself with his Church that to strike the disciples is to strike him. Saul rises blind and is led by the hand into the city; for three days he neither eats nor drinks. The longer reading tells how Ananias, sent by the Lord, lays hands on him: something like scales fall from his eyes, he is baptised, and he eats and is strengthened.
The Letter to the Hebrews draws the conclusion for us who have been baptised: “Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hearts sprinkled and bodies washed: the writer is thinking of Baptism. The curtain of the Temple that hid the Holy of Holies has been opened in the torn flesh of Christ, and now we may come near. Three exhortations follow: let us approach, let us hold fast to the confession of our hope, and “let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Already in the first century some Christians were staying away from the Sunday assembly. The letter's answer is not a scolding but a reminder: we need one another, and we need the meeting at the altar where the new and living way is opened. Our Qurbana begins with the veil drawn before the sanctuary in some of our churches and opened for the celebration, a living sign of this very text.
The Gospel takes us back to the lakeshore. Seven disciples have gone home to Galilee, Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee and two others, and Peter says, “I am going fishing.” They toil all night and catch nothing. At daybreak a stranger on the beach calls: “Children, you have no fish, have you?” “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” The net fills so full they cannot haul it in. The beloved disciple is the first to see: “It is the Lord!” Peter, impulsive as ever, throws on his clothes and jumps into the sea. On the shore they find a charcoal fire, fish laid on it, and bread. The Lord who once asked for five loaves now has breakfast ready, and still he says, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” He wants our work joined to his gift. Then the gentle invitation: “Come and have breakfast.” No one dares to ask, “Who are you?” because they know it is the Lord. “Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.” It is the third time he has shown himself to them after rising from the dead, and again he makes himself known at a meal. Among the seven is Thomas, the apostle who would carry the Gospel east and, by our tradition, to the shores of Kerala, and who, Eusebius tells us, sent Thaddeus, the Addai of Syriac tradition, to Edessa. A Church of fishermen, sent from a lakeshore breakfast to the ends of the earth: this is our story too. Every Sunday the Risen Lord stands on the shore of our tired week, calls us children, fills our empty nets with his grace, and says at the altar, Come and eat.
Theme: “Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord.”
On the Sunday of Mar Addai: the despised Servant exalted, Saul called out of darkness, the new and living way opened to us, and the Risen Lord who prepares the meal.
“Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his suffering ones.” Isaiah 49:13
“For he says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.” See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!” 2 Corinthians 6:2
Apply: Sing one Easter hymn of thanksgiving at home this week.
“Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”” 1 Samuel 3:10
“He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”” Acts 9:5
Apply: Pray this week for those who persecute Christians, that they may meet the Risen Lord.
“Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,” Psalm 24:3–4
“let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:22
Apply: Invite someone who has stopped coming to the Sunday Qurbana to come with you.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5
“Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.” John 21:12
Apply: At the offertory next Sunday, offer the work of your week to the Lord.
The Lord who called Saul and fed the fishermen calls and feeds us in every Qurbana, prayed in the ancient words of Mar Addai and Mar Mari.
Let us recognise him, come near with a true heart, and bring others to his table.
Take-home resolution: This week, pray for persecutors and the persecuted, offer your work at the altar, and bring one person back to the Sunday assembly.
Dear friends, this Fifth Sunday of Resurrection bears the name of Mar Addai, the apostle of Edessa. When our priest prays the Anaphora of Mar Addai and Mar Mari, he prays with one of the oldest Eucharistic prayers in the world. Eusebius records a tradition that it was the apostle Thomas, our father in faith, who sent Thaddeus, known in Syriac tradition as Addai, to Edessa.
Isaiah sings of the Servant despised by all, whom kings will one day honour. God gives him as a covenant, to say to prisoners, “Come out.” “Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth.” The despised Servant exalted is Christ, rejected on the Cross and risen at Easter.
In Acts, a prisoner of darkness is called out: Saul, breathing threats against the disciples. A light flashes, he falls, and hears, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Christ is one with his Church. Blind for three days, Saul is then baptised and becomes the great apostle.
Hebrews says that through the blood of Jesus a new and living way is open to us: “let us approach with a true heart.” And it adds: let us not neglect to meet together, but encourage one another. Even then, some stayed away on Sunday. We need one another, and we need the altar.
In the Gospel the disciples fish all night and catch nothing. At daybreak Jesus fills their nets. The beloved disciple cries, “It is the Lord!” On the shore Jesus has a fire, fish and bread ready, and he says, “Come and have breakfast.” He takes the bread and gives it to them.
Among them is Thomas, who would bring the Gospel to our shores. Every Sunday the Risen Lord stands on the shore of our tired week, fills our empty nets with grace, and says at the altar: Come and eat. Let us recognise him, and bring someone back with us next Sunday. Alleluia! Amen.
Children, the disciples fished all night and caught nothing. Then Jesus told them where to throw the net, and it was full! And Jesus cooked them breakfast on the beach!
Every Sunday at the Holy Qurbana, Jesus says to us, ‘Come and eat.’ Let us say like John: ‘It is the Lord!’
Lord Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, you stood on the shore at daybreak, filled the empty nets of your disciples and fed them with bread and fish. You called Saul out of darkness and made the persecutor an apostle. Through the prayers of Mar Addai and Mar Mari, and of Mar Thoma our father in faith, keep our Church faithful to the faith of the apostles. Give us confidence to approach you with a true heart, make us faithful to the Sunday assembly, and let us recognise you each time you say to us at the altar, Come and eat. Glory to you, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever. Amen. Alleluia!