Holy Mackerel!

Where did the expression “Holy Mackerel” come from?  Was it the surprise catch of 153 fish by the apostles a few days after the resurrection of Jesus? You’d think that these fisher-apostles would instinctively try to prevent torn nets and a capsized boat. Instead their attention was on the man on the shore. They said, “It is the Lord!” Once on land, the disciples enjoyed their breakfast of fish cooked by the Divine Chef who must have been a Divine Fisherman, too, to have caught a big one for the six hungry apostles at daybreak when the professional six hadn’t caught anything all night! Whether it was the best breakfast they ever tasted is not recorded in Scripture. What is recorded is the fact that Jesus took bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. “Took” and “gave” – key words in a Eucharistic meal. 153 fish were certainly miraculous, but the big miracle is the fact that the Risen Lord is ever present in the simple elements of bread and wine.

When have you experienced the presence of the Risen Lord in a very simple thing or event? What simple thing could you do today to let someone else experience God?