Readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter:
Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41
Psalm 30: 2,4,5-6,11-12,13
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19
How many
of us, when our lives have changed in unexpected ways, find ourselves wishing
that we could go back to the way things were before? Some might call this a
“crisis of vocation”- and this is exactly where we find the Apostles at the
beginning of today’s Gospel.
The
Apostles, who have all had encounters with the risen Lord, seem almost
resigned; ready to return to their old way of life- so much so, that Peter
decides to go fishing. Why is this? Perhaps it is fear. Perhaps it is
unwillingness or unreadiness to accept the mission that Christ had entrusted to
the Apostles. Or perhaps, it is because of shame- Shame that comes from
deserting the Lord in his hour of need. In Peter’s case, this shame must have
stung especially hard, since he had denied Christ not just once, but three
times.
It is
interesting to note that in this encounter with Jesus, Peter’s first fishing
journey is unsuccessful, just as it was the first time that Peter encountered
Jesus. And once again, with Jesus’ help,
he is able to haul in a large catch of fish.
Why does this occur? Perhaps it serves as a reminder to the Apostles of
their call to be “fishers of men.” Perhaps it also serves as a reminder to the
Apostles, and to us, that our work bears fruit only when we allow Christ to be
present and work in and through our lives.
Whatever
the case may be, Peter seems to express a sense of joy at encountering the Lord
again. He jumps from the boat, and runs
to shore to meet Jesus. And it is here, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee,
that Jesus reminds Peter of what he has been called to do.
It may
seem strange to us that Jesus asks Peter “Do you love me?” Three times. Perhaps
we share in Peter’s increasing frustration with each posing of the question,
since it may feel like Jesus does not trust Peter’s answer. But Jesus knows
what he is doing. By asking the question
three times, Jesus is effectively giving Peter a chance to “undo” his
three-fold denial, and be completely and totally reconciled with Jesus. This is
Peter’s own conversion experience- even though he may not recognize it at the
time. Simultaneously, Jesus reminds Peter of his call to shepherd the flock of
Christ. He also strengthens his faith, so that he may lead the other Apostles
to share in this mission as well.
We can see the fruits of this
encounter with the Risen Jesus in today’s First Reading. In the Acts of the
Apostles, St. Luke shows Peter as having embraced this leadership role, boldly
standing up to the Sanhedrin, and proclaiming that he and the other Apostles
must obey the command of God, and thus will not stop teaching in the name of
Jesus Christ. The editing of today’s
first reading is unfortunate, because it leaves out some details that give
greater meaning to the story. Among these are the fact that the Disciples were
flogged before they were instructed to stop preaching in the name of Jesus.
This is why the Apostles “Rejoiced at suffering dishonor for the sake of the
name.”
We also do not hear Gamaliel’s
testimony that if “the Way” as the Early Christians were called, was of human
origin, it would destroy itself, but that if it were of God, there is nothing
that the Sanhedrin could do to destroy it. This helps us to understand how the
Apostles could be so emboldened, and continue to preach the Gospel after being
rebuked by the Sanhedrin. Their strength to proclaim the Gospel comes from God,
and no human power can take it away.
This is what enabled all of the Apostles to endure a martyr’s death, and
John to endure his exile to the Isle of Patmos.
These readings today serve as a
reminder to us of our own call to Follow Jesus Christ with our whole heart, and
trust in his wisdom and guidance to lead us to fullness of life. When we do
this, we receive the strength that comes from God to be able to carry out the
work that he has called us to do.
How do we do this? How do we
learn what Jesus is calling us to do? The answer, just as it was for the
Apostles, is through an encounter with the Risen Lord. Knowledge of God’s will comes to us through
prayer and silence, through frequent reception of the Sacraments, and through
listening to and reading God’s word, the Sacred Scriptures. Do you take the time to “be still” and have
personal alone time with God? Do you
truly seek this encounter, or do things of the world get in the way? As we continue to celebrate this joyous
Easter season, my Challenge to you is to spend some time alone in private
prayer with God. It can be small- start with 5 or 10 minutes a day to just be
still, or to sit and pray with a short passage of Scripture. In this way, you
can begin to make space for this encounter with the Risen Lord in your life,
and begin to receive the strength that comes from seeking after knowledge of
God’s will.
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