52    The Bible and the Future of the World 

   The same pattern will be seen during the worse sufferings of the 25th 

century A.D. During those evil years when sin reigns over the whole world, 

the faithful disciples of Jesus will pray the Rosary and other prayers, and 

will offer their sufferings to God for the conversion of sinners. Their efforts 

will seem futile, just as the disciples efforts to catch fish seemed futile. Yet, 

at the end of the nearly seven years of the Church's greatest suffering, the 

prayers of God's faithful and suffering servants will bear great fruit in the 

repentance of sinners. 

    Notice that when Jesus first appears on the shore, no one recognizes Him, 

not even Peter, until John first says, `It is the Lord!'  John represents the 

faithful disciples of the Church, whereas Peter represents the leaders of the 

Church. Sometimes members of the Church understand and believe first, 

and the leaders understand and believe thereafter. 

    It was the same during the time of Jonah. When the people of Nineveh 

heard Jonah's preaching, they repented with fasting and sackcloth. Later, 

the king heard about these events and made the fast an official proclamation. 

Another example of this is the apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fatima. 

Many faithful children of God believed and made pilgrimages to Fatima 

before the leaders of the Church made it official. 

    The first Sunday after Easter is celebrated by many faithful Catholics as 

the Feast of Divine Mercy. This feast was announced by Jesus in a special 

way to Saint Faustina Kowalska of the Most Blessed Sacrament, who 

recorded these things in her Diary,  Divine Mercy in My Soul.

6

  For many 

years, before it was an official feast, large numbers of the faithful observed 

the Feast of Divine Mercy. Then, on April 30 of  A.D. 2000, the Church 

made it an official feast in the liturgical calendar. So you see, the leaders of 

God's Holy Church are first in authority, but not always first to understand 

and believe. 

The Disciple John (John 21:20 24) 

     Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, 

who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, `Lord, who is it 

that is going to betray you?' When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, `Lord, 

what about this man?' Jesus said to him, `If it is my will that he remain until 

I come, what is that to you? Follow me!'   (John 21:20 22). 

    The disciple whom Jesus loved is John, one of the Twelve Apostles, the 

Gospel writer. After Jesus' Ascension to Heaven, Matthias took the place of 

Judas Iscariot as one of the Twelve Apostles (Acts 1:20 26). It is said that all 

of these Twelve Apostles suffered and died as martyrs for Christ, except 

John. In this passage, Jesus tells us it is His will that John not die a martyr, 

as Peter and the other Apostles would.