Homily, 3rd Sunday of Easter

Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41; Rev. 5:11-14; John 21:1-19

When we speak of unconditional love, we usually mean a love that is without limits or conditions, a love that is changeless, no matter what happens. Given the ups and downs of life, such a love can seem challenging, if not impossible. And yet as we see in today’s Gospel, this is the love that Jesus offers to Peter, who once denied and deserted him.

Today’s Gospel passage is intimately linked with the passion narrative that we heard on Good Friday. We all know Peter – good old, well-intentioned guy: capable of such great acts of loyalty and confessions of faith but equally full of bravado and empty talk. Remember, Peter had tried to follow Jesus at a distance and ended up denying him. But Jesus did not make him feel the shame of his betrayal – instead he offered him unconditional love.

It is interesting to note that John prefaces this encounter by describing how the disciples are back to their original trade of fishing on the Sea of Tiberias. With all that has transpired over the previous years, and their knowledge and belief that Jesus has risen, where is their enthusiasm for the risen Christ? Where is their excitement? It is into this very ordinary moment that Christ enters and demonstrates the truth of his unconditional love. Implicit in his three questions – do you love me? – is the fact that despite Peter’s three denials, Jesus has never given up on him. His love for Peter and commitment to him are as unconditional and strong as they were on that first day, he invited Peter to come follow him.

The story of Peter is one of calling, falling, and recalling. A vocation is not something one hears once and once. The call has to be heard many times and responded to many times. Each day a part of a chosen path opens up before us, a part we have not travelled before. As one goes on, the call gets deeper, and the response becomes more interior and more personal. Peter’s story clearly shows that Christ’s call does not exclude falls. After what happened on Holy Thursday night, we would have expected Jesus to write off Peter as weak, cowardly, and unreliable. Yet Jesus did not write him off or even demote him. Jesus knew that there was another and better side to Peter.

Strength and weakness can co-exist in the same person. Hence, Jesus made Peter the chief shepherd of his flock as he told him; “Feed my lambs”, “Tend my sheep”! It was Peter who led the apostles in witnessing to the resurrection. 

Today we are invited to put ourselves in Peter’s shoes and be recipients of this unconditional love, especially where we have been broken or injured by life’s events. As with Peter, Jesus never gives up on us, for his love for us is equally without limits or conditions, no matter what happens. May we not be limited by past failures but be open to God’s new invitations and rely upon God to bring to fulfillment the mission entrusted to us. 

Finally, there is one more detail in the gospel that I want to talk about – the number 153. This catch of fish that was so great that the disciples were not able to haul the net in and instead dragging it to shore. And the net held. It has been suggested that 153 represented the total number of species of fish known then. By including all 153 within the net we see the radical inclusivity of the new covenant, the universal mission of the Church. All people of the world are invited into the net of the Church. And even if it seems like this “net’ might burst, it will hold; so, we need not fear inviting everyone. The net is meant to hold very kind of fish, the Church is a place for very kind of person., all are invited

In two weeks’, time, we have a parishwide Mission conducted by dynamic speakers from Castings Nets for three evenings. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear and learn more about how to live joyfully as a disciple of Christ through personal encounters with the Lord! Please save the dates – come and attend in person but also invite a friend or two. ###