Pentecost

The success of the movie, Avatar, made 3-D film-making popular again. With 3-D technology, the viewers get the sense that they are in the middle of the action, that it is taking place all around them. It is an effective way of making the on-screen action more exciting for the audience.

Of course, to have the full effect, the viewer must be wearing special 3-D glasses. Without the glasses, one can still follow the plot, but the thrill of the action is not as intense. It is through the glasses that the audience is brought into the middle of the adventure making them part of the full experience.


The gift of the Holy Spirit is much like those special 3-D glasses. We can manage to live without his power and presence in our lives, and sadly many people do. But by doing so, we do not experience life in its fullness. We do not grasp the real purpose for our existence which can only be found in the God who created us in his image and likeness. Without the Holy Spirit we can manage to get by, but there is much that we will miss along the way.

Today we bring the Easter season to a close by celebrating the feast of Pentecost. It is the day when Jesus' promise to his disciples that they would be clothed with power from on high was fulfilled. While they were gathered in prayer with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit rushed down upon them like a mighty wind. With this gift of power, the Church was born. The good news would now be preached to the ends of the earth.

Like 3-D glasses, the Holy Spirit made the apostles see things differently. Before they were afraid, hiding behind locked doors. Now they boldly enter the streets of Jerusalem proclaiming to all that Jesus is risen. Before they could not understand the meaning of Jesus' suffering and death. Now with the eyes of the Spirit they understand that his death was necessary for the salvation of the world. Before they were simple friends and followers of Jesus. Now, clothed with power from on high, they are the ones who will carry Jesus' teaching to the ends of the earth. With the vision that only the Holy Spirit can give, the apostles see things in a whole new way.

That gift of the Holy Spirit is not just for the apostles. Rather he has been poured out on each of us through baptism and confirmation. We do not look different because of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. However, with the eyes of faith, we know that he is transforming us day by day, leading us from fear into confidence, from ignorance to understanding and from darkness into light. We understand that the Holy Spirit is opening our eyes to the wonders God is working all around us.

How is it that the Holy Spirit helps us to see our lives and our world in a whole new way?

The Spirit helps us to see that we are the temple of God. Jesus tells us that if we believe in him and are obedient to his commandments then the Father and he will come to make their home within us. We are each carrying within us the presence of the Living God. Whenever we enter a church, we genuflect before the tabernacle because it holds Jesus' body. But Jesus is also present in our hearts in just as real a way. In fact, our hearts are the place he most longs to dwell.



Because the Holy Spirit helps us to see that God is present within us, we treat our bodies with care and respect. We dress modestly. We are careful about how much we eat and drink because we want to nourish our bodies and keep them healthy. We keep our thoughts pure and focused on God, and we avoid using foul language because we understand that we are always in the presence of the Most High God. The Holy Spirit helps us to see our dignity as daughters and sons of God.

If through the Holy Spirit, we can see our dignity as children of God, then we will also recognize that same dignity in the people we meet each day. We will treat them with the care and respect they deserve as temples of the Most High God no matter how they look and no matter their social status. If they are hungry, we will feed them. If they are sad, we will cry with them. If they are lonely, we will be their friends. Without the vision that only the Holy Spirit would give, we would see them as strangers. However, with the gift of faith, we see them as brothers and sisters whom we may never abandon.

If we have been living without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit then we have not been seeing things as they are. We have been missing out on all that life has to offer us. This feast day is an opportunity for us to look within and reflect on the powerful gift we received at our baptism and confirmation. It is time to reclaim our dignity as children of God and to welcome the presence of God into our hearts so that we can begin to see ourselves and others differently and to live fully the life that God is calling us to.

If the presence and action of the Holy Spirit still seems hard for us to understand, one good step to take would be to ask our Blessed Mother to pray for us. She knows in a personal way how powerful the Spirit is. It was by that power that she conceived Jesus and the words of the angel, "Nothing is impossible with God", were fulfilled. She was also present on that day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles. Because she wants to lead us to Jesus, she will certainly pray that we come to understand the presence of the Spirit in our lives and begin to draw on his power to fight temptation and to do good for those around us.

The Seventh Sunday of Easter

Without a doubt, the greatest writer in the English language is Shakespeare. Though he composed many sonnets, he is best known for his plays. The dramas he wrote for the stage all have a distinctive feature, a literary device called the "soliloquy". The stage darkens, and a spotlight draws our attention to the main character who addresses a monologue to the audience. The best known of Shakespeare's soliloquies is the one delivered by Hamlet which starts off with the words, "'To be or not to be?'" Shakespeare uses the soliloquy to give the audience insight into what the main characters are thinking and into the emotions which are driving their actions.

If the gospel of Saint John were a Shakespearean play, the passage we heard proclaimed today would be one of its soliloquies. We are given a glimpse into the mind and heart of Jesus as he speaks intimately in prayer with his heavenly Father. Through his words, we are given insight into what is important to him and what he cares about.

Whom is Jesus praying for as he lifts his hands to heaven? He is praying for those who will believe because of the testimony of his disciples. He is praying for us.

This prayer takes place during the Last Supper. Before he faces his trial and execution, we who will come to believe in him are on his mind. It is natural that he would be thinking of us at such a time because it would be for our sake that he would endure the tortures of the cross.

And what is Jesus praying for? He is asking his heavenly Father that we be "one". Our Lord wants all believers to enjoy unity through love. This unity is not a matter of dressing alike, sharing the same taste in music or liking the same foods. Rather it is a matter of sharing the same beliefs and living according to the same moral code. It is a matter, ultimately, of loving one another as Jesus has loved us. Jesus wants us to have unity so that others may also come to believe that he is Lord and that he died to save them.

Throughout the Easter season our first readings have come from the Acts of the Apostles which chronicles the lives of the first followers of the apostles. We are told that the early Christians were one in mind and heart. They shared what they had with one another so that no one suffered want. It was because of the love they showed one another - their unity - that they were able to draw others to join them as believers.

In our day there are many who are skeptical about the good news of Jesus. It is not because they do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God or that they reject the Church's teaching. Rather, many people stay away because they do not see us acting with love toward one another. They see the pettiness and bickering that so often goes on and get turned off. We might not even be aware that we are doing it much of the time, but people notice, and they stay far away because of it.

If we are going to be a place where people can encounter the Risen Christ, then we must demonstrate a unity based in love. What are some of the ways that we, the ones who have come to believe in Jesus, make his prayer for unity among believers a reality?

Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles gives us a clue. It is the story of Saint Stephen, the first to give his life for the faith. He is dragged outside the city walls and stoned to death. Yet, with his dying breath, he prays that God will forgive those who have killed him. If Stephen, like Jesus, can forgive those who killed him, what right do we have to not forgive those who have hurt us. If we are carrying around bitterness because someone has offended us or hurt our feelings, then we cannot be filled with the Spirit of Christ who commands us to love our enemies. If our minds are constantly going over the wrongs others have committed against us, then we cannot radiate the love of God whose sun shines on the good and the wicked alike. And so, the first step toward answering Jesus' prayer for unity among us is that we must forgive one another from the heart.

The second step toward becoming a more loving community is for each of us to make a commitment to not say a negative word about another and to avoid gossip at all costs. Few things are more painful than learning that someone you worship with on Sunday is spreading rumors about you on Monday. Few things devastate the unity of a Christian community more quickly than cliques of parishioners each talking badly about the other. Even when our criticisms are true, it is best that we address them with the person face to face or keep them to ourselves. None of us is perfect, and we would all prefer that our good qualities be noticed and our not-so-good qualities be overlooked. We should treat each other in just that way remembering that the reason we are here in the first place is to put our faith into action through love so that the good news of Jesus may spread far and wide.

Jesus did not only pray for us at the Last Supper. He continues to intercede for us in heaven at the right hand of the Father. His prayer continues to be that we be united in mind and heart. Jesus' will is always done. If he is praying that we be united in love, then it will happen. We have to cooperate with him, however, by forgiving one another sincerely and by endeavoring never to say an unkind word about one another. He left us the sacrament of his Body and Blood, a sacrament we call "Holy Communion", so that we can be in communion not only with him but with one another. We who share the one bread are one in Christ. As we draw closer to Jesus, we draw closer to one another. By the love we radiant, more and more people will be drawn to this place, and they too will come to believe that Jesus is Lord, and that he will come again.

Come, Lord Jesus!

(this homily originally appeared in Connect! magazine)

A Friend in High Places

When our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God, they were cast out of Paradise. The gates were closed to them and an angel with a flaming sword was set at the entrance to make sure they could not be let back in. They and their children would never again enjoy peace, abundance and a face-to-face friendship with God in an earthly paradise.

The Risen Lord has ascended to heaven to open the gates of Paradise up again for us. Whereas Adam and Eve disobeyed God, he was obedient unto death. With perfect obedience and love he gave his body as an offering for sin. Now the sin which kept heaven closed to us has been forgiven, and we enjoy the hope of everlasting life. We no longer live in despair separated from our God. Instead we fix our eyes on Jesus who has gone up to heaven to prepare a place for each of us who believe in him.

When Jesus ascends to heaven, the apostles are full of anticipation. What will happen next? Will Jesus establish his Kingdom on earth? They have seen marvelous things and are anxious to know what else they should expect. But Jesus tells them to stay in Jerusalem and wait. They will be "clothed with power from on high." Now that Jesus has ascended into heaven, he will send them the power to be his witnesses. This power is nothing else than the Holy Spirit who will rush upon them like a mighty wind compelling them to preach throughout all the world the words and deeds of the Risen Lord.

The gospels tell us that the apostles were filled with joy and were constantly proclaiming the wonders of God. It would seem that they would be ready to carry out the mission Jesus left for them. But something is missing. In fact, the most important element is missing. They still lack the gift of the Holy Spirit. Without that Spirit they would be unable to convince anyone that Jesus had risen and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. They would be like cars without gas or toys without batteries, unable to accomplish what they were made to do. And so Jesus tells them to wait in prayerful expectation for the Holy Spirit who will give conviction to their words, power to the deeds and make the hearts of all who hear them open to their message.

We who gather here today are assembled in prayer. We are the fruits of that gospel that was first preached by the Apostles. The Holy Spirit has touched our minds and hearts to welcome the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection. We have also known what it is like to be used by the Holy Spirit to bring comfort to those who are sorrowful, to convince others of the truth of the faith or to offer helpful advice to someone facing a difficult decision. We know there was something more at work than our natural talents or insights. God was using us through the Holy Spirit which made us his temple at our baptism and confirmation.

The image of the apostles who gathered with Mary in prayerful anticipation of the gift of the Holy Spirit is a beautiful way for us to understand our mission as a church. We cannot always be busy doing something. We also have to make time to pray and to wait. As a parish community we very often feel the frustration of so many plans and programs which never seem to bear any fruit. We expect great things and are often disappointed. It is not because we lack dedication or commitment. It is not because we lack talent. It may be that the missing piece is the Holy Spirit. It is vital for us as a community of faith to pray often for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What does the Holy Spirit provide for us who are patient enough to wait for his anointing? First of all, he gives us guidance. He inspires us as to where we need to place our efforts and energies. Secondly, he gives us the words which will convince minds and open hearts. He inspires us with the message that will touch those who hear us. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit goes ahead of us preparing the hearts and minds of those who will hear us so that they will be fertile ground for the message we will deliver to them. Finally, the Holy Spirit consoles us when things fail to go as planned. He encourages us to continue doing God's work even when we are seeing no positive results.

What we are saying about our life as a parish we could also say about our family lives, our marriages, our personal lives and even our jobs. Waiting for the gift of the Holy Spirit is an important piece of every aspect of our lives no matter how ordinary or how unimportant it may seem. The Holy Spirit wants to influence our whole life, to sanctify it and make it pleasing to God.

Jesus has ascended to heaven and opened up the gates of paradise for us. In these days leading up to the feast of Pentecost, we wait and pray that he will once again pour out his Holy Spirit upon each of us and his whole Church. We pray with tears in our eyes because we know how often we fall short of the great commission to spread the gospel to all nations. We pray with deep need because without the Holy Spirit we can do nothing. We pray with faith because the Risen Christ is Lord of all. And we pray with anticipation knowing that God will do great things for us who believe.

(image by Alexey Pismenny)

If You Love Me, You Will Keep My Word

There are many ways that we can show love to others. Husbands and wives can show love by kissing. Friends often hug when they meet. Besides the physical displays of affection, we show love by spending time together, by listening to one another or by sending cards. These and many other signs of love let others know that we are thinking about them and that we care for them.

Another way to show love - a way that is not very romantic - is through obedience. When children obey their parents, it is an act of love. By doing what a parent asks, children show that they trust that their father and mother know what is best for them. By behaving, children show that they have respect for their parents and want to live according to the values their parents are trying to instill in them.

Obedience is not only a sign of love between children and their parents, it is also a sign of love between believers and God. Jesus tells us in the gospel, "Whoever loves me will keep my word." And to make sure that we understand his meaning, he tells us again, "Whoever does not love me, does not keep my word." As children put their trust in their parents' guidance, so we as believers put our trust in God's will for our lives. By obeying God's word we are affirming that he has a plan for us, and that his plan is far better than any other we could craft for ourselves. By saying "yes" to God's word as it comes down to us in the Bible and the teaching of the Church, we acknowledge that he cares for us, and we profess that we love him enough to do what he asks of us.

Obedience can be a dirty word in today's world. It makes us think of mean teachers who are ready to rap our knuckles with a ruler every time we get out of line. It conjures up images of a God who is ready to punish us for every sin. In today's world, we prefer to make our own decisions about what is right and what is wrong. If a rule does not make sense to us - especially if it is a Church teaching - we are more than happy just to ignore it. It is hard for us to accept that someone can tell us what we ought to believe and how we should practice our faith. It is difficult for us to think that obedience has anything at all to do with love.

On one level, such an attitude can be a good and healthy one to have. We should not only know what the Church teaches, but we should also understand it. It is the job of the bishops along with religious, priests and teachers to help us to make sense of what the Church teaches and why. Understanding is central to being able to accept what the Church teaches and incorporate it into our daily lives.

However, the attitude which is not good and which is in fact deadly for our spiritual lives is the one that says that if we do not understand a certain teaching of the Church, then we will not follow it. When we act that way, we stay stuck in our false beliefs and misconceptions and are unable to grow in our faith. A better attitude would be to say, "I do not understand this teaching, but I am going to try to understand it and live it." Instead of rejecting it outright, it is better to ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and hearts so that we can accept the teaching in an authentic way and be able to explain it to others and even defend it when necessary.

Another reason we can find obedience distasteful is our image of the Church. Because we are exposed to a media which is constantly critical of the Church, we can often think of it as an institution of men who keep themselves busy by making up rules for us to follow. But the Church is so much more than buildings and bureaucracies. The Church is people. The Church is us. We are saints and sinners who have strived to show our love for Jesus by obedience to his word. During these two thousand years, we have accumulated much wisdom and insight into human nature and God's plan for the world. Church teaching, whether it concern what we believe or the moral life we must lead, is nothing else but an application of the teaching of Jesus for today that is strengthened by the accumulated wisdom of centuries of believers. Church teaching is a gift to us who seek to follow Christ because it points out to us a sure way that we can follow to reach the kingdom of God.

There is no doubt that Church leaders frequently let us down and even hurt us. They are not always good examples of what it is to be a follower of Christ. Nonetheless, our faith in the Church and its teaching does not come from our confidence in its leaders. Rather it comes from our faith in the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would remain with the Church always so that it could never be led into error regarding the most important doctrines of faith and morals. The Holy Spirit works powerfully through the Church so that we can have assurance that by accepting its teaching we are on a sure course to salvation. The Holy Spirit guarantees that in the Church, despite all its weakness and failures, we will meet the Risen Lord and be transformed by his word.

If we love Jesus, we will keep his word. His word is not far from us. It is easily accessible through the Bible and through the teaching of the Church. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit which we received at our baptism and confirmation helps us to understand that word and apply it to our daily lives. If our heart is open and we are willing to obey, then we can be sure that we are on a path to the Kingdom where Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father and where we may live forever in the glory of heaven.

RevolUTION

Most of us live in homes that are older and could use a bit of repairs and updating. When we do have the opportunity to spruce up our home by painting the exterior, putting up new cabinets in the kitchen or refinishing the hardwood floors, we feel a good deal of satisfaction. It can feel as though we are living in a new house. The desire to keep our homes clean and up-to-date has made companies like Home Depot and Lowes flourish and programs like "This Old House" and "Generation Renovation" among the most popular on cable television.

The word "renovate" means "to make new". When we renovate our homes or apartments we are trying to make them like new. However, unless we totally tear down and rebuild them, we cannot make our houses brand new. No matter how much work we do, we will, in most cases, still have the same foundation, the same joists and the same studs. And whatever work we do to our homes is never permanent. In a few years, we will have to repaint again, replace the heating system again or fix the appliances.

It is not only our homes that need to be renovated. Every aspect of our lives and of our world needs to be renewed. In our personal lives, our minds and spirits need education and prayer so that we can grow in knowledge and love. Our society is in constant need of reform and change so that it will be more just and peaceful. And our Church is faced with the need of ongoing conversion so that it will be a more effective instrument of Christ's presence and power. The task of being made new never ends in any facet of our lives.

Who is the one who has the power to change us? Who can shake the dust off our old habits? Who can clear out the cobwebs of bitterness and replace the rotted out places in our hearts?

No one but Jesus.

During the Easter season, we continue to read from the book of Revelation. Saint John has a vision of a new heaven and a new earth. The sea, which is the symbol of chaos and violence, is no more. The new earth is a place where people are living in peace and the landscape has been healed of the scars left by pollution. The centerpiece, however, is the new Jerusalem which descends from heaven. This new Jerusalem is the Church purified from all sin and glowing with holiness. Every tear is wiped away. All people lives as sisters and brothers. It is a brand new start for all of God's creation. It is a total renovation from the foundation to the rooftop. And it all stems from the power of God made manifest in Jesus, our Risen Lord. Therefore, he can proclaim from his throne in heaven, "See, I make all things new."

How does Jesus make all things new? Our reading from the gospel of John tells us. It is taken from Jesus' discourse with his disciples during the Last Supper. He is bidding farewell to those he has gathered to continue his work on earth. He tells them that all he has taught them can be summed up in one commandment, "Love one another." The love that Jesus is talking about is no warm feeling of affection that expresses itself in hugs and kisses. Rather he commands them to love one another as he has loved them. How did Jesus show his love? By dying on the cross. Jesus is the only hope of renewal for us individually, for the Church and for the world. And he accomplishes that transformation through a love willing to sacrifice even to the point of death.

All of us stand here today with some area of our lives that needs healing and renewal. We will encounter continual failure and frustration in facing those problems if we do not bring Jesus and his love into the situation. If our marriages are suffering, the only way to turn them around is by husbands and wives making sacrifices for each other and putting the other's interest before their own. If our parish is to grow and overcome its struggles, it will be by each of us loving and forgiving one another. We must strive to be a community marked by love so that others will know that we are disciples of Jesus and be drawn to worship here. If our world is to enjoy peace and an end to violence, the only way is Jesus' way of love and forgiveness. Until we learn to put aside our pride and forget our grievances we can make no progress toward a world free of poverty and despair. No treaty or government program can replace the change of heart that only Jesus can make happen. Whenever we invite Jesus into a situation and are willing to follow his commandment of self-sacrificing love, then problems begin to turn around, hearts begin to open and real lasting peace can take hold of our lives.

The home renovations business is a multi-billion dollar industry in today's world. Imagine if we could have the same interest in renewing our families as we have in renovating our homes. Imagine if we could work as hard at repairing broken relationships as we do at repairing our leaky roofs. Imagine if we were as concerned about replacing hate with love and bitterness with forgiveness as we are with replacing our Formica countertops with granite ones. Then our world would undergo a real and lasting renewal marked by the love of Christ.

Today is the day to start. It is here that we meet Jesus, the One who makes all things new. He wants to change us. We need only accept his commandment of love and welcome him into our lives. He will waste no time getting to work, and we can begin to see the transformation take place.

(image by Michael Moss)

The Voice of the Good Shepherd

Scientists tell us that babies develop their sense of hearing very early on. Even in the womb, a few months after conception, babies can hear and make out sounds. It is even believed that a baby can recognize his mother's voice while still in the womb. That is why many doctors encourage expectant mothers to talk to their unborn children. We sometimes see mothers rubbing their bellies and singing softly to their child in the womb. All this serves to build up the natural process of bonding that is taking place between mother and child by attuning the child to the voice of his or her mother.

During the first few weeks of the Easter season we have heard much about the sense of sight. Saint John sees the empty tomb and believes. Mary Magdalene meets Jesus in the garden and believes. Jesus shows the apostles the wounds in his hands and side, and they believe. Saint Thomas overcomes his doubts when he finally sees the Risen Lord for himself. It is by seeing Jesus that Mary Magdalene and the apostles come to faith.

Today, however, the focus is on the sense of hearing. Faith comes not only from seeing Jesus, but from hearing his voice. Jesus tells us as much in the gospel when he says, "My sheep hear my voice....I give them eternal life."

Faith which comes through hearing is a very important concept in the New Testament. Only a few believers were privileged to see Jesus with their own eyes. The vast majority of Christians - ourselves included - came to believe through our ears, not our eyes. We heard God's word, it touched our heart and we believed. We are among those whom Jesus called "blessed" because we have believed without seeing. We are the Christians who, like children whose ears are attuned to the voice of their mother in the womb, have recognized the voice of our Good Shepherd, Jesus, and decided to follow him.

During those first few weeks of Easter, when the readings focused on the sense of sight, we discussed how we can still see the Risen Lord, though in a hidden way, through the sacraments. All seven sacraments are real, life-transforming encounters with Jesus. If the sacraments are a way for us to see Jesus, then is there a way that we can hear the Risen Lord speak to us today? Is there a way that we can attune our ears to recognize and respond to the voice of our Good Shepherd?

The answer, of course, is yes! The Risen Lord continues to speak to us, his sheep, through the Bible.

As Catholic Christians we believe that the Bible, though written by men, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to such a degree that we can rightly call God its author. Because it is God's word, it is totally reliable as a source of knowledge of our Heavenly Father. It is a sure way of hearing his voice. When we proclaim the Scriptures together at Mass or when we read them to ourselves in our private prayer, it is God himself who speaks to us. When we approach the Bible with faith that it is God's word, our hearts and lives are changed.

It is for this reason that the reading of Scripture has such a prominent place at every Mass. The Bible is really the first course of this holy meal which Jesus prepares for us every week. It speaks to us of his love and willingness to forgive. It also challenges us to invite him to change those areas of our lives wherein by our actions or attitudes we are not living up to the great commandment of love. Through the Bible, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, continues to lead, nourish and console us, his sheep.

If we are to grow in our ability to recognize the voice of Jesus, we must make time everyday to read and study both the Old and New Testaments. Sometimes we can be intimidated by the Bible because it is so big and so many parts of it are difficult to understand. The best way to approach it is to remember that God has a message for us hidden in those pages. We only need to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in our reading and to help us to understand it. No one is better at explaining a book than the one who wrote it. Since the Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture, he is the one to go to when we come across a passage which is difficult to understand. He does not want to keep his message of love a secret. So if we are patient and diligent, the meaning will become clearer and clearer with time.

Another helpful way to grow in our knowledge of the Bible is to find books that explain certain facets of Scripture such as the history of the people of Israel and the cultural background of the people of Jesus' time. Such books give us added insights that can take away some of the mystery from the places and peoples mentioned in the Bible and can make it seem less intimidating. There are also many good Catholic resources online that can help us in our study of God's word. As with any study, it takes time, dedication and effort, but the fruit it bears in deepening our faith is rewarding beyond measure.

We often say, "Seeing is believing." But for most of us, it is in hearing that we come to believe. Jesus, our Good Shepherd and Risen Lord, continues to speak to us. We are his lambs, the sheep of his flock. He loves to tell us how much he cares for us, and he longs for us to follow him. Like a child who recognizes her mother's voice even before she is born, we can attune our ears to the gentle whispers of our Good Shepherd by reading his word, the Bible, everyday. Then we will be quick to follow him whenever he calls. And we will be ready when we finally see him face to face at our judgement when he calls to us, "Come, good and faithful servant. Enter the kingdom I have prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

(image by Marisol Sousa)

Third Sunday of Easter

When those suffering from a terminal illness reach a point where they have accepted that they are dying, one of the first things they want to do is make peace with their loved ones. They make a point of calling them to either ask for forgiveness or to offer it to those who may have hurt them. On the other hand, one of the most painful and haunting experiences we could have is to lose a loved one before we have an opportunity to make peace. The finality of death helps us to appreciate how insignificant our squabbles are. None of us wants to carry the burden of a grudge with us as we prepare to meet our Maker.

We can imagine the distress, then, that Peter must have felt on the day Jesus died. Though he had promised to stand by Jesus no matter what, he denied ever knowing him to the guards who were warming themselves over a charcoal fire. When he learned that Jesus would be condemned to death, he ran and hid out of fear. It must have been eating him up inside that when Jesus needed him most, Peter did not stand by him. What was probably most haunting was the thought that he would never have a chance to tell him how sorry he was and to make peace with him. He thought that he would have to live the rest of his life with the guilt and shame of knowing that he had let Jesus down.

What Peter could not understand at the time was that Good Friday was not the last time he would see Jesus alive. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus would rise again with a new, glorified body. He would appear to the apostles during the course of forty days helping them to understand what the tragic events surrounding his death all meant. And he would give them the same Spirit which raised him from the dead so that they could continue his good works of preaching the gospel, bringing forgiveness to sinners and healing to the sick. Peter would have a chance to see Jesus again and to express his love for him.

Today's reading offers us the last appearance of the Risen Jesus as recorded in the gospel of Saint John. The apostles have left Jerusalem with all its reminders of those last days of Jesus earthly life. They have returned to their hometown, the region of Galilee, where they feel most at home and comfortable. It was at Galilee that the apostles, many of them fishermen, had met Jesus for the first time and had begun to follow him. It was at the shores of the Sea of Galilee that they first witnessed how he touched so many lives with his message of love and forgiveness.

When the apostles recognize him, Jesus is on the shore of the sea preparing breakfast for them. Seeing the charcoal fire Jesus had made must have reminded Peter of how it was against the glow of just such a fire that he had denied knowing him. His heart must have been aching to tell Jesus how sorry he was for abandoning him.

Peter would have his chance. He finally has an opportunity to be alone with Jesus as they walk along the beach after breakfast. It is an idyllic, peaceful scene - the type of scene we would imagine ourselves in if we had a chance to meet Jesus face to face. Just as Peter denied Jesus three times, so Jesus asks Peter three times whether he loves him. When Peter replies, "Yes, Lord, I love you.", Jesus gives him the mission of feeding or tending his lambs. By professing his love, Peter makes up for his sin and is restored to his dignity as the chief shepherd.

It is interesting that Jesus does not call him by the name he had given him - Peter, which means "rock". Rather he addresses him as "Simon, son of John". The only other time Jesus addresses Peter this way is when he first meets him and calls him to be a disciple. What Jesus is doing is letting Peter know that, though he has failed, he is still called to be a disciple. This is emphasized at the end of their conversation when he says to him, "Follow me." Jesus forgives Peter and restores his status as a disciple based on a simple profession of love.

We tend to associate mercy and forgiveness with the season of Lent. But it is just as fitting for the Easter season. It was for the forgiveness of sins that Jesus died and rose again. When he appeared to the apostles on the night of the resurrection, his first gift to them was the power to forgive sins. All that Jesus did was centered on giving us new life by reconciling us to the Father. And so the sacrament of Reconciliation, or confession, is not just for the Lenten season. Rather, like the other sacraments, it is a real encounter with the Risen Lord. Through confession we walk with Jesus, tell him that we are sorry for abandoning him, and profess our love for him as Peter did. Jesus then pours his forgiveness and mercy out upon us and renews his call to us to follow him as his disciple. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the beautiful ways that we can come into the presence of our Risen Savior during this Easter season and experience the healing power of his mercy just as Peter did at the banks of the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus calls us to his side today. He has prepared a meal for us. It is his very body and blood. We can approach this table with confidence knowing that he has forgiven us. We can approach this table with joy because he is alive. We can go in peace knowing that he will always be by our side.