The readings for Third Sunday of Easter may be found at:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050122.cfm
Today’s Gospel May seem like it’s all about Peter. But, it’s all about us.
Now, you might be thinking, hold on…I don’t get that at all.
Today’s story is about recognizing Jesus and jumping in and following Him wherever He may lead us, even when His presence is not clear.
Now, our lives can be rough. For many, even just the past few weeks May have been hard.
Just like Peter.
The accusing voices in the courtyard. The three denials. The cock crowing.
The horrible death of the one he promised never ever to deny or desert.
The empty tomb and all the worry and uncertainty it brought.
Peter must have been tired.
You can almost hear Peter breathe a deep sigh of relief when he tells the other disciples, “I am going fishing.”
And fish he did. All night. In the dark. Even though he caught nothing, he was returning to his “normal”.
Maybe that helped him calm his fears, his doubts, the voices in his head.
Peter was going back to what was familiar.
We do the same. Just like Peter.
After the activity and emotion of Holy Week, we’re probably all a bit tired.
So, we turn back to normal things.
Do we see Jesus in our lives, just like Peter saw that strange figure in the early morning haze?
In our heads, we know that Jesus is in every moment of our lives, but we don’t always see Him do we?
He’s often most difficult to see in people that make us feel a little uncomfortable - the poor, the homeless, the sick, the lonely, the aged, the forgotten, the marginalized.
What would the world be like if Peter had chosen to stay in the boat and not go to Jesus? Would Jesus have been lost to history? Would we even have a Church?
Thankfully, Peter didn’t stay in the boat. He jumped in and our world was forever changed.
But what made him jump?
I think it was Love. Love got Peter out of the boat that morning.
Love in the heart of Jesus calling out to Love in the heart of Peter.
That same love calls out to each one of us.
And day after day we have a choice. To stay on our boat or jump off to Jesus.
And if we jump - the world is different for it.
Just like Peter.
Love calls to Love in our daily lives.
Love calls to us at work - Follow me in everything you do at work today; be patient with that irritating employee; reach out to someone who is struggling.
Love calls to us around town - Lead with love. Heal the wounds of division and prejudice. Go out of your way to help those who need a hand.
Love calls out to us in our parish - Join a ministry, get to know someone new, gripe a little less and love a little more.
Love also tests us.
And so our Lord looks at the other disciples, the boat, the nets, the 153 fish and Peter’s former way of life and asks him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Just like Peter - Jesus first met us when we were much younger.
Now Peter had reached the stage of his life where he was ready to give up some of his youthful freedom and exchange it for a greater freedom that comes with following Christ.
When we are young we think that our freedom is endless and that our life will never end.
But as we get older we learn - that is not true and hopefully, we choose Christ’s love.
Love demands us to do what we don’t necessarily want to do at times.
Just like Peter, life may force us to stretch out our hands and be led where we may not want to go.
But, love makes it possible for us to go there.
And the source of that love is always standing on the shore of our lives.
(Pause) In a few minutes, Jesus will again be at the shoreline that is this altar with food prepared—his body and blood.
Love calling to Love.
I invite you to leave your boat. Jump in.
Jump into the love and freedom that only God offers you.
Jump in. Just like Peter.
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