April 18, 2010 3rd Sunday of Easter Acts 5:27-32, 40-41; Rev. 5:11-14; Jn. 21:1-19 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   Readings:     http://www.usccb.org/nab/041810.shtml    ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________     The risen Jesus appears to his disciples and symbolizes their mission by a miraculous catch of fish. The Beloved Disciple is the first to recognize the figure on the shore as Jesus, another instance of the primacy of love. Jesus then prepares a meal of bread and fish for the disciples and, with “Eucharistic” gestures, breaks it and gives it to them. The major thrust of this part of the story is that the risen Jesus comes again to commission his disciples to spread the Gospel and to assemble in Eucharistic Communion.   Then follows a dialogue between Jesus and Simon. Having denied Jesus three times, Simon is then asked three times whether he loves Jesus, and he even becomes distressed after the first two protestations of love. Three times then Jesus commissions him, “Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep.” Instead of giving an assurance of power and presence, as he does in the commissioning story (in Matthew), Jesus predicts Peter’s martyrdom. Only then does he say simply, “Follow me.”   When God interrupts lives, as Jesus did the lives of the disciples early that morning by the Sea of Galilee, it has a way of bringing us face to face with what we should be about. We like to be comfortable in our safe harbours. We like to retreat into the comfort of what we know and do so well, as opposed to being challenged to grow and to follow. We like to look back instead of looking forward. Peter might have protested, "Let somebody else feed your lambs. I will be satisfied with the sentiment of saying, 'I love you.'" The gift of another day is the opportunity to put our deeds where our creeds are.   Today’s Gospel addresses today’s church. The community of disciples as a whole is involved in spreading the Gospel; the Beloved Disciple is a faithful witness whose love gives insight about Jesus; and Peter, the failed sinner, because of his love is entrusted with pastoral care. The Petrine ministry has been defined primarily in terms of Mt. 16:16-19, with its language of stability (rock), defensiveness (gates of hell shall not prevail) and exercise of power (keys; bind and loose). In the new millennium, this Gospel could help to envision a new ministry: A forgiven sinner, a leader in a community of friends, is chosen for the quality of love and given as his primary mission the care of the vulnerable lambs and sheep in a world so harsh that fidelity to this mission may lead to martyrdom.       <<   Previous: 2nd Sunday of Easter  | Next: 4th Sunday of Easter >>   Go Back to SERMONS (Year C)