How many fish did St Peter catch?

[Flavio Raposo]

It's 153. Exact number of fish Peter caught (John 21:11). It is also 153 Hail Marys in the Holy Rosary.

Today is Easter Wednesday. Todays reading for the traditional Mass is taken from John 21:1-14.

Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of great fishes, one hundred and fifty-three. And although there were so many, the net was not broken. (John 21:11)

When Our Lady appeared at Fatima, she asked that a third of the Rosary be recited daily for peace, meaning 50 Hail Marys or one set of Mysteries. This is how many pray their daily Rosary, but a full Rosary has 153 Hail Marys in total, the above-mentioned 150 for the Mysteries and 3 which are introductory. It is worth noting that between May 13, 1917, the day of the first apparition at Fatima, and October 13, 1917, when the Virgin Mary presented herself as the Lady of the Rosary, there are, counting exclusively of the day of the first apparition, 153 days.

St. Augustine also notes, as he is wont to do, in his Tract on the Gospel of John that 153 is the sum of the first 17 whole numbers, that is 1+2+3 and so on up to 17 which gives 153. 17 is, of course, 10+7, with 10 representing the Ten Commandments and 7 the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Here 153 represents the combination of Grace and the Commandments and therefore all “who are sharers in such grace are symbolized by this number, that is, are symbolically represented.

[Dawn Marie]

Let me add that when one adds in the "luminous" mysteries and attempts to then say a 1/3 of the rosary as Our Lady asked at Fatima the number comes out to 66.6666666666666

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Awesome! Thank you so much.

Deo gratias!

[Karen Kim]

Thank you for this!  God bless you.

[Michael]

Thank you for posting.