It was lovely to notice Morris dancers in the town on May Day: dancing in the Market Place and also outside Blackfriars Tavern. The joyful noise they make brings a smile to peoples’ faces as they find themselves caught up in the glee whilst they pass by on their daily chores. Joy is found in the ordinary.

This Sunday’s Gospel draws us to the lakeshore. It’s a familiar place where the disciples, still dazed by reports of a risen Jesus, return to what they know: fishing. Here in the ordinary Jesus meets them. The miraculous catch of fish reminds them who He is. The fire on the shore, the shared breakfast, and the quiet moment with Peter — all tell us that the risen Christ is not distant or aloof. He is deeply personal. He is with us.

Easter is not a one-day event but is a season, a journey, a deepening revelation. This is why the season of Easter lasts many weeks; so we can take time to fathom the mystery first witnessed by the disciples and claim that in the ordinariness of our own lives today.

Father Simon