Fire of Love: Scott Hahn reflects on the 3rd Sunday of Easter

Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 04.12.13 |

Acts 5:27-32,40-41
Psalm 30:2,4-6,11-13
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19

There are two places in Scripture where the curious detail of a “charcoal fire” is mentioned.

One is in today’s Gospel, where the Apostles return from fishing to find bread and fish warming on the fire.

The other is in the scene in the High Priest’s courtyard on Holy Thursday, where Peter and some guards and slaves warm themselves while Jesus is being interrogated inside (see John 18:18).

At the first fire, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, as Jesus had predicted (see John 13:38; 18:15-18, 25-27).

Today’s charcoal fire becomes the scene of Peter’s repentance, as three times Jesus asks him to make a profession of love. Jesus’ thrice repeated command “feed My sheep” shows that Peter is being appointed as the shepherd of the Lord’s entire flock, the head of His Church (see also Luke 22:32).

Jesus’ question: “Do you love me more than these?” is a pointed reminder of Peter’s pledge to lay down his life for Jesus, even if the other Apostles might weaken (see John 13:37; Matthew 26:33; Luke 22:33).

Jesus then explains just what Peter’s love and leadership will require, foretelling Peter’s death by crucifixion (“you will stretch out your hands”).

Before His own death, Jesus had warned the Apostles that they would be hated as He was hated, that they would suffer as He suffered (see Matthew 10:16-19,22; John 15:18-20; 16:2).
We see the beginnings of that persecution in today’s First Reading. Flogged as Jesus was, the Apostles nonetheless leave “rejoicing that they have been found worthy to suffer.”

Their joy is based on their faith that God will change their “mourning into dancing,” as we sing in today’s Psalm. By their sufferings, the know, they will be counted worthy to stand in heaven before “the Lamb that was slain,” a scene glimpsed in today’s Second Reading (see also Revelation 6:9-11).

Insight Scoop

The risen Christ to the restored Peter: "Feed my sheep!"

A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for Sunday, April 14, 2013, Third Sunday of Easter | Carl E. Olson

Readings:
• Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41
• Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13
• Rev 5:11-14
• Jn 21:1-19

Years ago, not long after entering the Church, I called into a local radio program hosted by two Fundamentalist Protestants. They had been discussing Catholicism and making some claims that were more than a bit dubious in nature. In the course of our conversation (which was fairly civil, thankfully), the topic arose of a great apostasy in the early Church. Long story made short, they insisted the Church had “apostatized” within years—perhaps just months!—of Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension.

One reason for this belief (which I knew well from my Fundamentalist upbringing) was the assumption that the first Christians soon began embracing structures and doctrines that were “Romanish” in nature. Rather than deal with the historical record, these two sincere, intelligent men deemed it better to skip ahead to the present-day, seeking to restore the Church they thought Jesus really meant to establish. They made it clear they would not follow a pope.

That incident came to mind as I considered today’s readings. The readings during Easter—which include passages from Acts of the Apostles in place of the Old Testament readings—make numerous connections between the authority, mission, and power of the Risen Lord and the position and actions of the Apostles. There is a clear and consistent connection between the person of Jesus Christ and the people who took up “the Way” (Acts 9:22) and who were eventually called “Christians” (Acts 11:26). And this connection included structure and authority.

“Well, of course,” you might say, “everyone knows that.” But this basic and fundamental fact is routinely denied, especially by those who try to uproot Jesus from his historical moorings and detach him from the establishment of Church structure and use of ecclesial authority. A common line of attack is to pit Jesus against “organized religion,” which is almost always code for the Catholic Church and her Magisterium.

Today’s readings depict something different, however, from this rather anarchic interpretation. The Gospel reading is especially instructive. It describes a key encounter between the risen Christ and the apostles, focusing on the head apostle, Peter. Days earlier, the rash fisherman had denied Jesus three times while huddled in the cold near a charcoal fire (Jn. 18:18-27). Now he came from his boat to a charcoal fire started by his Master, who invited he and his companions to eat.

The Good Shepherd then asked Peter a single question three times: “Do you love me?”

In responding to Peter’s affirmative replies, Jesus did not say, “Be good” or “Hang in there!” Rather, he directed him to feed and tend his sheep. This is a reiteration and affirmation of the authority Jesus gave to Peter in granting him the keys of the Kingdom (Matt. 16:16-20). It builds upon an important and lengthy discourse by Jesus about his identity as the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10). We are familiar with the image of the humble, loving shepherd, but we sometimes overlook how this image is as much about royal authority and messianic identity as it is about pastoral care.

Jesus’ discourse was based in part on a prophecy given through Ezekiel: “And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd” (Ezek. 34:23). Jesus is the Davidic King, and he established a Kingdom that exceeds the wildest dreams of any earthly king. “My servant David shall be king over them,” God told Ezekiel, “and they shall all have one shepherd” (Ezek. 37:24).

But if Jesus is the one shepherd, why appoint Peter to also be a shepherd? Because the Vicar of Christ, the apostles, and the bishops are “partakers of His consecration and His mission” (Lumen Gentium, 28). They have a specific place in the Body of Christ, a vocation to pastor and feed the one flock of the one true God. And so Jesus, after asking his three questions of Peter, simply said: “Follow me.” Why? So we can find, receive, and follow him.

(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the April 18, 2010, issue of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper.)

Regnum Christi

The Fisher of Men Is Not Let off the Hook

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Third Sunday of Easter

Father James Swanson, LC

John 21: 1-19

After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee´s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We also will come with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him, "No." So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something." So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught." So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast." And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being 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." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a 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. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are present here and now as I turn to you in prayer. I trust and have confidence in your desire to give me every grace I need to receive today. Thank you for your love, thank you for your immense generosity toward me. I give you my life and my love in return.

Petition: Lord, you know that I love you, but increase my love.

1. Peter Receives Poor Job Performance Ratings: The Lord has given Peter a job, and he expects Peter to do it. But Peter has proven himself unworthy; he denied Jesus three times in the house of the High Priest on the night Jesus was handed over. When Jesus needed him most, Peter turned away from him. What is Jesus’ response? Does he take away the leadership position from Peter and give it to someone else? Hasn’t John shown that he is better suited to be the leader of the apostles, to be the rock Jesus can build his Church on? He never ran away or denied Jesus, even when the High Priest, knowing John was also a disciple, could easily have killed him along with Jesus. Yet Jesus does not take the job away from Peter and give it to John. Rather, he turns to Peter again and expresses his confidence in him.

2. Peter Overestimates Himself through Pride: Peter had a deep love for Jesus, but not deep enough. On the night of the Last Supper, he thought he was capable of dying for Jesus, but he was wrong. When the test came, Peter came up short. Like Peter, we tend to overestimate our own readiness to follow Jesus. We do fine under ordinary circumstances, but when difficult moments come – temptations, opposition, even persecution – we fail. Like Peter, we come up short. We love the Lord, but not enough. Jesus’ reaction to us is the same: He does not lose confidence in us. Neither does he let us off the hook. He expects us to grow into the job.

3. The Job Is Yours; Keep Working on the Qualifications: What is Peter’s shortcoming? He doesn’t love Jesus enough. His love was real, but there were still things greater than his love – his fear for instance. On the night of the Last Supper, he ran away when Jesus was arrested. He denied Jesus three times. In each instance, his fear was greater than his love. To be the first Pope, he needed greater love than that. He needed a love without limits. That is why Jesus asks him three times: “Do you love me?” He is telling Peter that the qualification for the job is unlimited love. Peter has to have an unlimited love in order to be the rock on which Jesus builds his Church. Jesus is not letting him off the hook. He isn’t giving the job to someone else. Peter has to get that love, just as I have to develop an unlimited love to qualify for the tasks in life that Jesus has given me.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I know that when you gave me the responsibilities I have, you gave me the grace to fulfill them, too. Help me not to be lazy or irresponsible in serving you. Encourage me like you encouraged Peter, so I can fulfill all you expect from me in this life.

Resolution: I will work on improving myself today. Maybe I can find a spiritual book that will help me get closer to God. Maybe I can find a class or conference that will help me in some aspect of what God expects from me – parenting, prayer, charity, etc. – and sign up for it today.

This Sunday's Gospel: Feed My Lambs

This Sunday’s Gospel: Feed My Lambs

by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. on April 12, 2013 ·

On many occasions I’ve heard non-Catholics object to the papacy. Often, they say something like this: “I just can’t believe that one man on earth, the Pope, is holier than everyone else.” So who ever said that being sinless is either a prerequisite or a consequence of being named Pope?

For the Pope, the bishop of Rome, is the successor of Peter, who spent the last years of his life leading the Christians of the eternal city. And here is an interesting fact. None of the four canonical gospels (not to mention Acts and Galatians) try to hide the fact that Peter sinned often and sinned big. By the way, if the “patriarchal, controlling” leaders of the early Catholic Church altered the story about Jesus as the DaVinci Code suggests, don’t you think they would have “fixed” these embarrassing stories?

Yet while all agree Peter was weak and imperfect, they all also agree that he was given a unique responsibility. Only Peter got a name-change from Jesus himself (from Simon to “Peter” meaning rock). Only Peter was told by Christ on Holy Thursday night “I have prayed for you that your faith never fail and when you’ve repented, go and strengthen your brethren” (Lk 22: 31-32). And when Jesus, after the resurrection, cooked a fish breakfast for the apostles (Jn 21), it was only to Peter that Jesus put the question “do you love me?”

But why did Jesus ask him the same question three times? Perhaps Peter needed to atone for his three-fold denial of Christ by a three-fold profession of love. Perhaps, given Peter’s track record of getting it wrong, the Lord really wanted to be sure he got it right this time. Here’s the point–

“Peter, your way of expressing penance for your sin and love for me will be to feed my sheep. Remember, they are not your sheep, but mine. Take care of them for me. Do for them what I did for them. Don’t just feed them. Protect them. Lay down your life for them if necessary.”

Peter’s role as a Shepherd is, in a way, unique because it is universal. Despite his human frailty, he is given care of all the Churches. And, if we take Lk 22:31-32 seriously, he is called to be the shepherd of all the shepherds. That’s a big responsibility. In fact, it is a crushing burden which he could never fulfill on his own power. That’s why we pray for the Pope (meaning “Papa” or father) in every Catholic Eucharist across the globe – He needs the grace of the Holy Spirit to fulfill his role. The bit about Peter stretching out his hands with others leading him where he does not want to go – it does not just refer to his crucifixion under Nero, but to the daily laying his life down for his flock, the “white martyrdom” that we can saw so clearly in the weary but relentless witness of John Paul II.

In another way, though, Peter’s role as a Shepherd is not unique. It is exemplary for all of us sheep who are called to become ourselves shepherds and leaders, despite our own frailty and sinfulness. Some are called to be bishops, successors of the apostles, entrusted with pastoral care of a portion of Christ’s flock. Some are called to be priests and deacons, who assist a bishop in his apostolic mission. Some are called to be catechists, youth ministers and teachers, who also play a role in the feeding of the sheep.

And most of us are called to be parents, shepherds of what the Second Vatican Council calls “the domestic church.” Parents, say St. Thomas Aquinas and John Paul II, have a pastoral role much like that of a parish priest. In fact John Paul II, in his letter Familiaris Consortio, says that the Catholic parent exercises “a true ministry of the Church.”

On whatever level, the call to feed and care for the sheep is a call to sacrifice, not privilege. It has its moments of exaltation and profound satisfaction, but it has its moments of agony as well. But if we’ve learned anything from the passion, it’s that suffering is the true and necessary test of love, as well as love’s most authentic and powerful expression. So let us not be afraid to be shepherds. The Good Shepherd will empower us with His Spirit. And let’s pray with gratitude and compassion for those who shepherd us.

Scripture Speaks: Third Sunday of Easter

by Gayle Somers on April 12, 2013 ·

During Christ’s Passion, Peter stood near the warmth of a charcoal fire and denied knowing Him. Today, Jesus and Peter meet again near a charcoal fire. Why?

Gospel (Read Jn 21:1-19)

St. John tells us that an appearance of Jesus at the Sea of Tiberius (also called the Sea of Galilee) was “the third time Jesus was revealed to His disciples after being raised from the dead.” As is always the case in St. John’s Gospel, there are layers of symbolism in the simple action described. The disciples have already seen the Risen Lord, but they have not yet been commissioned by Him to make disciples of all nations (see Mt 28:15-20), nor have they received the promised Holy Spirit for the power they will need for this work (see Acts 1:4). For now, they are still fishermen. Surely they wondered what would come next. With time on their hands and a living to earn, they decide to go fishing, which was usually done at night on that sea.

It was a fruitless night of work; they caught nothing. At dawn, “Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not realize” that it was Him. This is a common theme of Jesus’ post-Resurrection appearances. The apostles have trouble recognizing Him (as we still do in the Eucharist, veiled as He is there). See that He calls out to them with the term, “Children.” By this first word of His address to them, He places the meaning of this episode within the context of the Kingdom His Father sent Him to build (recall that He taught the disciples to call God “Our Father” in prayer). When they tell Him they have caught nothing, He directs them to cast their net in another direction, which results in a huge haul of fish. Recall that at the outset of Jesus’ call to His disciples, it was a very similar action that drove Peter to his knees in recognition of his sin and Jesus’ holiness (see Lk 5:1-11). John, who calls himself in this Gospel “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” knows instantly that the Man on the shore (the place of stability, as opposed to the frequent and unpredictable turbulence of the sea) is Jesus. Peter immediately jumps into the water and swims toward Him, while the others get the boat and the full net back to shore. Jesus has already set up a charcoal fire and is cooking fish and bread on it, but He wants some of the fish the disciples had caught. This breakfast, then, is to be a combined effort of Jesus and His friends. Peter drags up the net with one hundred fifty-three fish in it. We have to wonder who counted them and why. It is the kind of detail in St. John’s writing that usually has a deeper meaning. St. Jerome tells us that at that time, Greek zoologists had counted one hundred fifty-three different kinds of fish. This suggests that the full net represents the people the disciples would “catch”—all kinds of different people, from all nations, representing the whole of mankind, in the “net” of the Church that won’t break apart under Peter’s handling.

Jesus then cooks the fish and bread and feeds the disciples with it, calling to mind the feeding of the five thousand in Jn 6:1-14, these being the only two meals in the Gospel eaten by the Sea of Galilee and the only two where fish and bread are served. However, Jesus had more on His mind than feeding His friends as He gathered them around the charcoal fire. He wants to have a conversation with Peter, who had three times denied Him by the light of a similar fire (see Jn 18:18). He repented with just one look from Jesus, crying tears of contrition and grief. Jesus gives Peter three opportunities to confess his love for the Lord Whom he had denied; each confession brings a specific command to Peter to care for the flock entrusted to his care. Jesus, the Good Shepherd (see Jn 10:1-21; Ezek 34), is about to depart. We know He established Peter as the rock of the Church, entrusting him with the keys of the kingdom (see Mt 16:19). By this charcoal fire, three times Jesus assures Peter that his denial has not disqualified him from his work of caring for God’s flock. Jesus asks him to confess hislove for Him, not his potential for heroics. Peter now knows well his own weakness, and so does Jesus (“Lord, You know everything”). In meekness and humility, he vows his love and nothing else. Ironically, although Peter had once foolishly boasted about his willingness to die (see Jn 13:37-38), Jesus now describes the martyr’s death that awaits Peter. He has learned that martyrdom for the sake of Jesus is a grace given by God, not something to be grasped in man’s own bravado, a difficult but necessary lesson. Now, when Peter hears the same words he had heard three years earlier from Jesus, “Follow Me” (see Mk 1:17), he knows exactly what they mean.

Possible response: Lord Jesus, help me remember that You seek my love above all else, a love expressed in obedience.

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

Here we see the apostles in a setting radically different from the seaside in the Gospel. They had disobeyed orders from the Sanhedrim not to preach in Jesus’ Name. Peter speaks out boldly to explain their actions: “We must obey God rather than men.” He simply declares that they have been witnesses to the miracle of the Resurrection and have no choice but to announce this Good News to the people of Israel, who had long awaited their Messiah, regardless of the consequences.

Ordered again to keep quiet, they were dismissed. Rather than shrink in fear or flare out in aggression, “they left… rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the Name.” Although the disciples were not setting out to be heroes—they only wanted to share the glory of the Gospel with others—it was granted them to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and become heroic in their suffering.

For Peter, this time, there was no boasting—only joy.

Possible response: Lord Jesus, help me be willing to be a witness to the miraculous truth I know about You.

Psalm (Read Ps 30:2, 4-6, 11-13)

Here is a song of praise for deliverance from enemies, from the netherworld, from weeping and mourning. Its words would be appropriate on the lips of Jesus, of course, as well as on the disciples’ lips. In fact, Jesus and all who trust in Him (people like us) can sing today: “I will praise You, Lord, for You have rescued me.”

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read Rev 5:11-14)

Here we see Jesus in a setting radically different from the seaside in the Gospel. St. John tells us of a vision of heaven given to him in which he sees “countless living creatures” crying out to sing praise to “the One Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.” This is the Jesus Who now reigns over His Church. Jesus is conquering all His enemies; He is waiting for the day He will return to this world, finish His work, and celebrate with His Bride, the Church, into eternity. Before the Sanhedrin, Peter and the apostles had confidence that the scene described here is actually true. It gave them the courage to obey Jesus’ simple command to follow Him, given to them at the seaside and in every age to all people everywhere through the Church they built.

Will this obedience cost us anything? Yes, it will, but if we remember that “worthy is the Lamb,” we will only rejoice if we are found worthy in this life to suffer for Him.

Possible response: Lord Jesus, I need to remember this vision of Your glory and victory when my obedience to You costs me having my own way.

One Bread, One Body

<< Sunday, April 14, 2013 >>

Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 5:27-32, 40-41
Revelation 5:11-14
View Readings

Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13
John 21:1-19

THE HUNDRED-YARD DASH

"Actually they were not far from land — no more than a hundred yards." —John 21:8

When we sin, we distance ourselves from the Lord. Like Jonah, we try to get as far away from God as we can (see Jon 1:3). Like Jonah, however, we run into God no matter where we go. The psalmist questioned: "Where can I go from Your Spirit? From Your presence where can I flee? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I sink to the nether world, You are present there" (Ps 139:7-8). Nevertheless, if we insist on it, the Lord will let us finally escape from Him. This place of escape is called hell or eternal damnation where we can separate ourselves from God forever.

When we run away from God, the Lord will try to flush us out of our hiding place of sin (see Lk 15:4). As He did with Adam and Eve, the Lord will call to us: "Where are you?" (Gn 3:9) If we turn back to Him, He will meet us much more than halfway. Our heavenly Father will run out to meet us, throw His arms around our necks, and kiss us (Lk 15:20).

However, the Lord will not force Himself on us. We must repent. When Peter distanced himself from Jesus by going back into the fishing business and rejecting Jesus' call to be a fisher of men, Jesus reached out to Peter and got within a hundred yards of him (Jn 21:8). However, Peter had to jump in the lake and swim a hundred yards (Jn 21:7). In His love for us, Jesus will travel all time and space to be close to us. Through repentance, we must cover a few yards to get to Jesus.

In this Easter season, how close are you to Jesus? If you've distanced yourself from Him, repent and jump in the lake.

Prayer: Father, if I sin, may I make a hundred-yard dash back to You.

Promise: "We testify to this. So too does the Holy Spirit, Whom God has given to those that obey Him." —Acts 5:32

Praise: "Worthy is the Lamb That was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and praise!" (Rv 5:12)

FOR THE ELDERLY

Dear Lord, as my life declines and my energies decrease, more than ever hold me by Your Power, that I may not offend You, but daily increase in Your Love. Give me strength to work in Your Service till the last day of my life. Help me to ever have an increasing dread of venial sin, or whatever would cause the slightest withdrawal of Your love, all day long, and at night keep me close to Your Heart; and should I die, ere the morning breaks, may I go rejoicing in that vision of Your entrancing beauty, never to be separated from You. Amen.

http://resources.sainteds.com/showmedia.asp?media=../sermons/homily/2013-04-14-Homily%20Father%20John%20Henderson.mp3&ExtraInfo=1&BaseDir=../sermons/homily