Third Sunday of Easter
Acts of the Apostles 5:27-32; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21: 1- 19
“I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me” Ps. 30
As we dwell on the horrific events of the past two months, in Ukraine, and observe the courage and strength of the people willing to endure the ravages of war to save their homeland, we see their determination to leave all and to put their lives on the line in order to accomplish their mission to preserve their country.
The apostles, in the first reading, are determined to continue speaking in Jesus’ name, willing to endure the rebukes and reprimands of the Jewish Authorities in order to follow the command of Jesus to spread his Word. “They rejoiced that they were to suffer dishonor for the sake of the Gospel.”
After witnessing the events of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, the Apostles were left in a state of confusion, fear, and heartbreak. The One to Whom they had placed all their hopes for the future was now gone from their lives! How were they to carry on? Would they, too, be arrested and killed?
In the reading from Revelation, John is gifted with the vision of God’s throne surrounded by the praise and adoration of “every creature in heaven and on earth, under the earth, in the sea and everything in the universe.” The Apostle shares his vision with the Church as a reminder of the Glory of God in our midst!
The Gospel tells of Jesus’ revelation to the Apostles at the seashore telling them to cast out their nets again even though they had not caught anything. They had not recognized Jesus’ presence until they witnessed the abundance of fish caught after following his command. Recognizing their exhaustion and frustration, Jesus prepared a meal for them and fed them with the fish caught and some bread. It was then that they realized it was Jesus.
Peter’s confession of Love, after being asked by Jesus three times if he loved Him, was met with the response to “feed my sheep”. The love he had promised to his Lord was to be shared with all those he would encounter – a ministry of Love and Forgiveness.
As we move through these trying days, let us be aware of the presence of our God in our midst. While we long for Peace and a resolution to the war in Ukraine, the pandemic, natural disasters, as well as gun violence, let us trust that God is with us in his power and strength. We need to keep the vision of God’s loving Presence before us as we witness to his Love and compassion in our daily lives. Let us pray to be open to the many ways God is being revealed to us each day, and to embrace that Love so as to minister to those who need to be fed.
Sr. Mary Doris, OP