3rd Sunday of Easter-Cycle C-2016

FIRST READING            Acts of the Apostles 5:27-32, 40b-41

When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name?  Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”  But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men.  The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.  God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.  We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”  The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.  So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

SECOND READING                  Revelation 5:11-14

I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders.  They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice:  “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.”  Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out:  “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.”  The four living creatures answered, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

GOSPEL                John 21:1-19

At that time, 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?”  Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”  Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”  He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”  Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”  Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”  Jesus said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”  Peter was distressed that Jesus 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.”

My sisters and brothers in the Lord,

It is the Lord!  We should hear the delight in the voice of the disciple whom Jesus loved!  And then see the impetuosity of Simon Peter!  These accounts of the early followers of Jesus are full of human joy and fervor—and can bring us much delight just in reading them.  Jesus has returned from the dead and is showing Himself now to those who love Him.

The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, tells us about the joy of the apostles in proclaiming Jesus once they believed that He had truly risen from the dead.  It is almost as if they cannot stop proclaiming Jesus.  We are invited to look at our own lives and see if we also proclaim Jesus as risen from the dead by the way we live our faith.

The second reading, from the Book of Revelation, is a way of proclaiming that Jesus is God.  These days after Easter are all about proclaiming Jesus as Lord, Jesus as God, Jesus as Savior, Jesus risen from the dead!  Truly this is the heart of our faith.  When we come to believe that Jesus is God, Jesus died and rose, our way of living has to change.  God has become man and taken on our very being so that we can begin to live in God.  That does not mean that we shall be perfect immediately, but it is the road on which we walk:  He is risen, alleluia!

The Gospel of John is most likely written by the disciple whom Jesus loved and so today we have this firsthand account of Jesus appearing to his followers.  Jesus heals the wounds that Peter has suffered in denying Him.  Thus, the Resurrection is not just a glory story, but the story of a return which touches real people and calls them now to follow with a purified faith.

How does Jesus heal our betrayals?  How do we continue to walk with Him when we know He is God and we are still sinners?  We know that He will always pardon us and yet we are invited to the spiritual combat of fighting against our sins and our unfaithfulness—not to become pure in any sense except that we can love more.

Christ is risen, alleluia.  Our lives are changed, alleluia!  May our faith become so real and strong that we too go about proclaiming the Lord Jesus.  Alleluia.