May 1st 2022.  Third Sunday of Easter

GOSPEL   John 21:1-19

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading . . .

 

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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."

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

SUMMARY OF HOMILY

1. How does Peter, who denied Christ three times, now have the courage to witness to Christ to the extent of being brutally flogged?

In the first reading from Acts we encounter a Peter who stands up courageously to bear witness to Jesus. He then endures being flogged (a harrowing punishment in those times) and does it all with serenity, freedom and joy. How does it happen that Peter, who denied Jesus in front of a servant girl, now has the courage to bear witness to the extent of being flogged? The answer is splendidly given in the Gospel. There are many significant details in this story of the miraculous catch of fish. Afterwards they eat with Jesus and then the Lord asks Peter three times if he loves him. At the third time, Peter is saddened. The scene recalls the threefold denial, which happened in front of a charcoal fire. Now, in front of the fire that Jesus had prepared, after having eaten a new type of food, reinforced by the relationship with the risen Christ,  Jesus is healing that wound. The new life that we see in Peter in Acts 5 flows from that relationship with Christ. It is not a quality of Peter himself. Peter had claimed to be the greatest of the apostles, the one who would never abandon Jesus, but his true fragility and infidelity was revealed during the passion.

 

2. The sadness that Peter feels when he recalls his own poverty and misery is important. We must feel that sadness so that we will turn to God and abandon ourselves to him.

Peter felt sadness when he recalled his infidelity in front of Jesus. When he does his first preaching on Pentecost Sunday, the people who hear him are struck to the heart. This interior sadness is necessary, as it involves liberation from one’s ego. Peter, as the first among the apostles, was full of his own triumphal qualities, and needed to discover how poor and miserable he really was. At the washing of the feet, Peter did not want the Lord to cleanse him, but Jesus replied, “If I do not wash you, you can have no part in me”. What transforms Peter into the fearless man of Acts 5 is the fact of being loved and forgiven by Jesus.

 

3. At the denial, Peter was an immature person who followed his own desires. Now he has become a mature disciple, open to what the Lord ordains for him.

Jesus then says to Peter, “When you were young, you dressed as you wished and went wherever you wanted”. In other words, while Peter was still immature, he followed only his own whims; he made his own plans into absolutes. “But when you are older, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and take you where you do not want to go”. This perfectly describes St Peter, who becomes obedient to wherever the will of God will lead him, right up to stretching out his hands in crucifixion. New life does not come from effort, or personal coherence! It comes from being pardoned! It comes from the shattering of the ego. St Peter no longer is under the illusion of his own greatness. We see in this Gospel that the mature adult is the one who submits to God, who places himself in front of the Lord as one who follows. Indeed, the last phrase of this passage is, “Follow me!” This was the first call of Christ to Peter, but now he can fulfil it. When God’s promises don’t seem to be getting fulfilled, we wonder why not? What is missing? It is we who are missing! We need to submit in trust because we have been loved, convinced that he will never abandon us.

 

ALTERNATIVE HOMILY

The disciples have gone back fishing but they are catching nothing. Isn’t this often true in the life of the Church? How often we seem to be doing nothing, having no results, going nowhere! Why does that happen? Because we take our eyes off the risen Lord! When Jesus appears and tells the disciples to throw the nets in a new direction, then a bountiful catch results. It is when we cease depending on our own egos and become attentive to the word of the Lord, that our lives become fruitful. But that is not all that happens in this Gospel. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. Thus he leads Peter through a process of correction and healing for the threefold denial at the Passion. In fact, at the beginning of this Gospel, Peter was behaving just as he had during the Passion! He said, “I’m going fishing!” It is the old impetuous Peter who is following his own will. Jesus calls Peter to stop relying on himself and instead allow himself to “stretch out his hands and be led where he does not want to go”. In fact, the last line of this passage is, “Follow me!” This lesson is for all Christians. It is only when we cease to rely on ourselves and follow the Lord that our lives begin to bear fruit.