01 May 2022 – 3rd Sunday of Easter, Year C

01 May 2022 – 3rd Sunday of Easter, Year C

1st Reading: Acts 5:27-32, 40-41

The apostles were put on trial for preaching the Gospel

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.”

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

When they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of the name.

Responsorial: Psalm 29: 2, 4-6, 11-13

R./: I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me
and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead,
restored me to life from those who sink into the grave. (R./)

Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him,
give thanks to his holy name.
His anger lasts but a moment; his favour through life.
At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn. (R./)

The Lord listened and had pity.
The Lord came to my help.
For me you have changed my mourning into dancing;
O Lord my God, I will thank you for ever. (R./)

2nd Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

The throne of the Lamb, a vision of Christ crucified and the risen

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Gospel: John 21:1-19

The risen Jesus appears on the shore of Lake Tiberias, and confirms Peter as chief pastor

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.

Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

BIBLE

Caught in his net

Could we imagine ourselves as among the fish that Jesus sent Peter out to catch? Like them, we are immersed in a sea of troubles and distractions, moved by every ripple of excitement, shaken by the level of doubt and disbelief that marks our world today. We spend so much energy on what are ultimately trivialities. We dally with temptation, and let ourselves be hooked by unhealthy lures, from gambling to drugs to vacuous celebrity. It is little wonder that Christ chose simple fishermen when he chose his first apostles.

Today’s story reflects the miracle of salvation as an offer. Through his church, Christ has thrown over us his net of salvation, a net of grace. He says: “The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind.” Though it remains unseen beneath the surface, we are drawn into it, if we let that happen. We can make our own the prayer “may we be caught in God’s net”… “I liontaibh Dé go gcastar sinn.”

The miraculous catch of fish is really about the grace of God. There is no telling what size the catch will be until the net is finally drawn in at the end of time. Like today’s catch, it may well astonish even the most seasoned fisherman. Who knows what queer fish will be caught there spluttering and gasping at the wonder of God’s mercy? The “big catch” is Christ’s answer to those prophets of gloom who imagine that most people are outside his reach.


Invited to breakfast

What a wonderful, happy meeting between Jesus and his apostles on the lakeshore. He appears to them, so that they will have no doubt that he is risen from the dead. The meeting includes a miraculous catch of fish, followed by the human touch of Jesus preparing breakfast for the apostles. Meeting him again after the Passion healed all Peter’s feelings of guilt for denying Jesus in the house of the High Priest.

For Jesus to cook breakfast for the Apostles was a special moment. They must have remembered that this was the same Lord who had wrapped a towel around his wais and washed their feet at the Last Supper. Some things never change, and Jesus is “the same yesterday, today, and always.” Although he has gone through death and has the freedom of life-beyond-death, he still keeps that human touch, a down-to-earth relationship with those who are his friends.

Is it not surprising that Peter never actually apologises, in so many words? It’s hard to accept that “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” When the woman washed his feet with her tears Jesus said, “Many sins are forgiven her because she loves much.” Peter could have spent the rest of his life confessing his sins, or he could simply open his heart and say aloud what he felt, that he really did love Jesus. He was direct and uncomplicated, knowing full well that Jesus loved him.

Peter, because of his failures and being humbled by them, was the ideal person to choose to lead the others. He had recoiled at the idea of Jesus washing his feet, but once he saw what it meant he welcomed this sign of loving service. Because he could not afford to point his finger at others’ weaknesses, he had the compassion needed in a religious leader. To be a leader like Jesus, was to be of service to others.


Do you really love me?

The meeting with Jesus beside the lakeshore can be seen as the story of Peter’s repentance and restoration. Others prefer to see it as his Confession, or declaration of faith. His repeated answer “Yes, Lord!” is surely a declaration of love and loyalty. It is not so easy is to see how it can be a confession of guilt. But it does corresponded to Peter’s threefold denial of Jesus.

There are interesting uses of the word “love” in this text. In English, when Jesus asks “Do you love me?” and Peter answers, “Yes, I love you,” it makes good sense. But in the Greek original of the New Testament, what Peter replies does not respond exactly to the question Jesus asked. Greek has several words to express various levels of affection. In his book The Four Loves, he Belfast-born author C.S. Lewis described them as follows: There is Storgé (affection) the quiet liking you might feel for a cheerful neighbour whom you meet from time to time. Then there is eros, a sensual or erotic love, the love that unites a couple and often leads to marriage. Another term is Philia, or friendship, a trusting companionship with people with whom we share some real interest. Finally there is Agapé, which means generous, self-giving love, which we value even when there is nothing tangible to be gained.

Back to our gospel story. Jesus asks Peter, “Agapas me, Do you have agapé for me?” meaning “Do you love me enough to risk everything for me.” Peter has not lived up to this kind of love. He had disowned Jesus in order to save his own skin. So what can he say? He answers, “Philo se. Yes, Lord, I love you as a friend.” He was saying, “Yes, I admire you… but I was unable to risk my life for you.” Jesus asks him a second time “Agapas me?” and again Peter answers at the level of friendship (philia). Finally, unwilling to embarrass him further, Jesus asks him “Are you really my friend?” (phileis me?) And Peter answers “Lord, you know everything; you know that I am your friend.” (σὺ γινώσκεις ὅτι φιλῶ σε.) Jesus accepts Peter just as he is; even friendship (philia) is good enough, for now. Fullness of agapé would come later, when Peter was put to death for the faith.

In that meeting beside the lake, Peter was not the boastful man who thought he was better than the other disciples but a wiser, humbler heart that would not claim more than he can deliver. Peter’s confession is like that of the father of the possessed boy who said to Jesus, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Implicitly, what Peter said was, “I love you, Lord; help my lack of love.”

In the hymn: The Love of my Lord Is the Essence we profess in church our love for God. Peter’s meeting with the risen Christ reminds us that professions of love tell only side of the truth. In reality, our love is hardly ever unconditional, and we often back away when faced with danger. Like Peter, we need to to bring our failures to God for healing. We can join Peter today when he declares: “I love you, Lord; help my lack of love.”


2 Comments

  1. Thara Benedicta says:

    Readings: 01 May 2022 – 3rd Sunday of Easter, Year C

    Key message:
    Let us willingly serve our God both in mountains and in valleys!

    The takeaway from the first reading:

    When the Apostles were doing the right thing, they faced difficulties. Then without feeling offended, they continued preaching the ‘Word of God’, which they were supposed to do. When they faced opposition, they did not quit what they were doing, but with the help of God, they did more, intensely. When we face trials, are we submitting ourselves to the feelings of rejection or to self-pity? Do we give time to ourselves to think about the wrongdoings of others, how they have hurt us and so on? We are not cowards to turn back from our duties whenever we face issues. We are brave and courageous since we follow the Lion of Judah. When our Lord Jesus was exhausted and was not able to carry the cross to Calvary, did He leave His cross? No, our Lord Jesus persevered to the last. Then by the grace of Almighty God, the executioners themselves allotted Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross. When our Lord Jesus lost all His strength to carry His cross, God gave Him a person to carry His cross.

    When it is beyond our strength, God will cover us with His strength.

    The takeaway from the second reading:

    We read in the second reading a beautiful picture of worship of our Almighty Father and His beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven.
    All the inhabitants of Heaven inclusive of elders and the thousands and thousands of angels, singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered..” All inhabitants in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, responding by singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing…”

    This is ‘picturesque’ of the future church.
    What about us, the current church on earth? Sad to say, not many of us sing praises to God during Mass. The second reading explicitly says “every creature… singing..” It is not left to the choir of angels alone in Heaven. We come to the church with a heart of worship and praise to our God. So let us praise Him explicitly and not just listen to the choir and the priests. We should blow praises from our hearts to our God. Let us not be mindful of what others notice or if our voice will not sound great. Let us praise Him with our hearts and lips filled with singing.

    Our Lord Jesus also worshipped Almighty God by singing. Our Almighty Father sings rejoicing over us.
    Can we sing our praises to the Holy Trinity?

    The takeaway from the Gospel reading:

    Jesus cooks fish and bread in today’s Gospel reading. So our Lord cooks too!! Probably Mother Mary would have taught Him how to cook!!
    Apart from the fun side of the story, we see an interesting act of our Lord Jesus. Instead of explaining, “See because of your obedience, you have caught lots of fish”, our Lord cooked food and served it to their hearts’ delight. He is our merciful companion and a delightful friend.
    Our Lord Jesus entrusted the whole church into the hands of the Apostle Peter. Likewise, He is entrusting His little churches – our family or our parish – into our hands. We are given responsibilities to take care of our little church.

    (Today is also the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, though not liturgically celebrated this year.)
    On the feast day of St. Joseph, let us contemplate how St. Joseph took care of the little church entrusted to his loving hands.

    When Mother Mary revealed Her promise of virginity to Saint Joseph, Saint Joseph also excitedly offered His chastity to Almighty God. The love between them was like the love between angels. Saint Joseph took care of the Holy Mother of God!!

    When Mother Mary was about to deliver, Saint Joseph had to take her to Bethlehem. They did not have anything else to travel other than a donkey. Mother Mary had to travel on a donkey in the mountain regions where there was no proper road, for around 10 days. Saint Joseph trusted in God and started the journey. They would not have had a proper place to sleep at night. God asked them to go through the difficult journey, but He also gave them the grace to go through it.
    When Saint Joseph was going through this journey, he never asked God, “I had been so obedient to you and started off with this journey. Why can’t You give me one more donkey so that we can cover it quickly?” He just said “Amen” and continued doing his tasks.
    After they reached Bethlehem, though they both were very tired, there was no time to rest. Saint Joseph kept knocking from door to door of all the inns, but finally, they got a manger. He had to clean it up to make place for Mother Mary and for the child to be born. He kept working diligently and hard.
    He was so busy taking care of the “little God” that He forgot himself.

    Now, we see that nothing turned up as Saint Joseph had planned. He made everything ready for the baby in their house in Nazareth, but finally our baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He wanted to make everything comfortable for Mother Mary, but he had to take her on a 10-day journey when she was in her last stages of pregnancy. He tried to get a room in an inn, and kept knocking all the inns, but all he got was a manger. Even after baby Jesus was born, he was instructed again to set out immediately, now with the baby in his hands. Saint Joseph had his life filled with sudden surprises. He planned something and prepared for it, but God would direct him to do something else. However, Saint Joseph never got frustrated nor angry with God. He did not say, “Oh, God I am doing all things to please you, but you always take me in the opposite direction.” When God showed him a different way, he immediately took it. He was open to any plan of God. He was open to any challenge. One messenger from God for giving details on the exact task was sufficient for Saint Joseph. Irrespective of the hardships he has happily done all the tasks entrusted to him.

    Saint Joseph willingly served God irrespective of the new challenging life events.

    Let us also happily serve God, when our life takes unprecedented turns.

  2. Joe O'Leary says:

    Readings: 01 May 2022 – 3rd Sunday of Easter, Year C

    Thanks, Thara Benedicta, for the comment on the first reading. Yes, those first Christians were an amazing bunch, and what is most admirable is their parrhesia (Acts 4:13), their boldness, their fearless freedom of speech in the face of bullying authorities. They pray for this virtue: ‘“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly’ (4:29-31).

    God gave us a tongue and lips and lungs and breath and vocal cords, a priceless and powerful instrument, to be a trumpet of truth, which heals and liberates. Why are we so terrified of using our own voice?

    Often we hesitate so say anything from a feeling that we are not sufficiently versed in the matter in question. An excess of modesty and scruple leaves the microphones in the hands of the arrogant ignorance that runs rife in the social media.

    Cowardice and self-preservation play a huge role in our lives, keeping us from ever uttering the words the Lord has given us to speak. We ‘sidle along the wall’ (as Bernanos remarked of the clergy), knowing that words of prophecy cause as much upset to the prophets as to those they castigate.

    Distaste for conflict makes us avoid ‘toxic’ subjects, but they can be handled in a way that lessens their toxicity if we learn to ‘speak the truth in love'(Ephesians 4:15).

    Pope Francis’s vision of synodality is premised not only on permission but on promotion of a bold freedom of speech, such as the church has long discouraged. Can we seize this golden opportunity? Or will what began in the boldness of the Spirit end in a whimper?

    Cagy, cautious, guarded, taciturn, mealy-mouthed, silent, mute, as quiet as the grave–these are not the epithets that apply to the Apostles. They spoke openly and honestly and held nothing back.

    ‘But I have nothing to say!’ Surely everyone has something to say, if we exercise our means of expression, the Spirit will give us what He wants us to say.

    Jesus warns against ‘every idle word’ (Mt 12:36). That would be a poor excuse for not speaking out when the occasion demands. ‘Woe to those who are silent concerning Thee,’ says St Augustine, ‘for in their loquacity they remain dumb.’ The antidote to idle vacuous chatter is not cautious silence but deep-rooted speech.

    Discretion is an important virtue, but we exercise it too often not to protect our neighbour but to avoid mentioning our Saviour.

    A troubling situation. One way to begin to overcome it might be to revive the old Irish locutions such as ‘God is good,’ ‘Thanks be to God,’ ‘Le cúnamh Dé’ and so on.

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