Universal catch and abundance
The number 153 is the count of fish in the miraculous catch after the resurrection (John 21:11). Mathematically, 153 is the triangular number of 17, that is, the sum of all numbers from 1 to 17. The fact that the net did not tear despite the enormous catch has been interpreted as a symbol of the church's universality and unity – it embraces all nations without falling apart. Thus, the number has come to be understood as a symbol of the complete, universal gathering of believers from every people on earth. Church Father Jerome (c. 347–420) claimed that Greek zoologists had cataloged 153 species of fish, and that the number therefore represented all peoples of the world who would be gathered into the church's net. Augustine (354–430) pointed out that 153 is the sum of the numbers from 1 to 17, and that 17 itself is the sum of 10 (the law, the Ten Commandments) and 7 (grace, the gifts of the Spirit). The catch thus symbolizes the union of law and grace. 153 is also a so-called narcissistic number (or Armstrong number): 1³ + 5³ + 3³ = 1 + 125 + 27 = 153. This mathematical property has fascinated numerologists throughout history.*