Cycle C - Year I:  

5 May 2019: Third Sunday of Easter 

(Liturgical Color: White)

Readings:

First Reading:        Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41

Second Reading:   Revelation 5:11-14

Gospel:  Please Read  John 21:1-19

Jesus calls: "Follow me!"

Have you ever been asked the question "Do you love me?"  Well, we all may have encountered such a question.  It sounds straightforward but it is not easy to answer though. Because if we answer "yes" it does not stop there; it demands a commitment, a witnessing to prove such love.

In today's Gospel narrative, we hear our risen Lord ask Simon Peter the same question of "Do you love me?" not once but thrice. And so Peter was distressed and troubled that Jesus asked him the same question thrice.

Let us reflect on the Gospel passage.

On the third Sunday of Easter, the Gospel narrates that Peter and his companions went fishing by the lake of Tiberias. But they caught nothing all night. Then by dawn Jesus appears to them for the third time after His resurrection. But the disciples did not recognize the risen Lord.

Like in the previous miracle of the big catch of fish in Lake Gennesaret, Jesus again performed a miracle of another big catch of fish, and only then that the disciples realize it was Jesus with them.

At the end of the Gospel narrative, there was a conversation between Jesus and Peter, possibly a slightly uncomfortable one on Peter's part.  Because Jesus asks Peter "Do you love me?" three times, and Peter was distressed.

But Jesus was really rehabilitating Peter as the leader of the apostles in asking him a threefold confession of love to make up for his threefold denial at the passion. For Jesus will be giving Peter the important mission to prove his love for our Lord: "Feed my lambs!', "Tend my sheep!"

In the Gospel incident today, Jesus has challenged Peter to abandon his work as fisherman for the greater task of shepherding God's people, the Church.

In fulfilling Peter's mission, Jesus also predicted the kind of death that Peter will suffer for our Lord's sake: "... you will stretch our your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."  And the Lord's prediction was fulfilled when Peter died a martyr, crucified upside down on a cross on the Vatican hill.

Then comes the fateful last word of today's Gospel reading, which is addressed not just to Peter but to all of us down the ages who wish to serve the Lord, the invitation to discipleship: "Follow me."

Like Peter, the Lord also calls each one of us, even in our weaknesses, sinfulness and failings, to love Him above all else. But loving Jesus entails caring for the people our Lord loves. Loving Jesus means embracing our Lord's mission of proclaiming God's kingdom on earth and becoming witnesses of God's love by caring for others, especially the poor and marginalized members of our society.  Loving Jesus means trusting our Lord completely with our hearts and life for the sake of His kingdom.

This is a timely message in choosing our leaders comes election day this month. We must choose leaders who can lead us, not only through our journey in this world, but more importantly our journey safely to our heavenly home. For we are but a pilgrim people while on earth.

In sum, "Follow me" is our Easter invitation from our risen Lord Jesus Christ, to cast our nets at the other side of the boat where an abundance of fish awaits us, so that we can take care of the Lord's flock entrusted to our mission.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!