Do You Love Me?

Homily 04 14 2013
Third Sunday of Easter C

View the Readings for this day

Today's gospel narrative shows us the rehabilitation of Peter, who denied Jesus three times in the courtyard of Caiaphas, and Jesus' conferring of Primacy in the Church on him.

The Gospel also shows us God in search of man, even when man tries to evade Him.

The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, tells us how the Spirit of the Risen Lord transformed Peter, whom Jesus had appointed head of his Church, from a man fearful of powerful men into a brave witness to the Resurrection.

Peter stands before the Jewish Supreme Court - the Sanhedrin - boldly announcing that he and the others must obey God rather than men.

The second reading, from the book of Revelation (the Apocalypse), presents John's vision of the Risen Lord as the glorified "Lamb of God," enthroned in heaven .

Today's gospel tells the post-Resurrection story of our merciful Savior Who goes in search of His band of disappointed and dejected disciples.

The incident proves that Jesus' post-Resurrection appearances were not mere hallucinations.

In the first part of today's gospel, the risen Jesus appears to His disciples and gives them a symbol of their mission in a miraculous catch of fish followed by a grilled fish breakfast prepared by Jesus.

Fishermen have such a reputation for, exaggeration. Someone said that the difference between a hunter and a fisherman is that the hunter lies and waits and the fisherman waits and lies.

One fisherman I heard about got tired of people doubting his veracity. He bought a scale and took it with him to his favorite fishing hole.

He insisted on weighing every fish he caught, just to prove that he didn't exaggerate.

Months later his wife had a baby. The doctor borrowed the man's fishing scale to weigh the baby. The doctor gasped, "I've never seen a newborn baby," he said, "that weighed fifty pounds!"

Today's gospel describes a true fish story about a miraculous catch of fish.

There is a very tender and moving scene in the play, Fiddler On The Roof.

Tevye and his wife Golda are being forced to move from their home in Russia.

One day Tevye comes into the house and asks his wife, "Golda, do you love me?" "Do I what?" "Do you love me?" Golda looks at him and then responds:

"Do I love you? With our daughters getting married and this trouble in the town, you're upset, you're worn out, go inside, go lie down, maybe it's indigestion." Tevye interrupts and asks the question, "Golda, do you love me?" Golda sighs as she looked at him and says, "Do I love you? For 25 years I've washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cows. After 25 years, why talk of love right now?"

Tevye answers by saying, "Golda, the first time I met you was on our wedding day. I was scared, I was shy, I was nervous." "So was I," said Golda. "But my father and my mother said we'd learn to love each other, and now I'm asking, "Golda, do you love me?"

"Do I love him?" Golda sighs. "For 25 years I've lived with him, fought with him, 25 years my bed is his! If that's not love, what is?" "Then you love me?"

Tevye asks. "I suppose I do!" she says. "And I suppose I love you too!" he says. "It doesn't change a thing, but after 25 years it's nice to know."

"Do you love me?" is the same question Jesus is asking Peter in the closing scene of the Gospel of John.

The second part of today's gospel is a dialog between Jesus and Simon where Simon is asked three times whether he loves Jesus, as if in reparation for his triple denial of Jesus.

The two metaphors used in the story, namely fishing and shepherding, are the duties of the Church in her missionary work.

Peter, as a forgiven sinner, is chosen for the quality of his love to serve as leader in a community of friends.

As his primary mission, he is given the care of the vulnerable lambs and sheep, and he is told that fidelity to this mission will lead him to martyrdom.

Knowing the transformation that took part in the heart of Peter since the Resurrection, Jesus believed him and transferred His authority to him.

When Jesus said three times, "Feed My sheep.", He was commissioning Peter to lead the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church that He Himself had instituted on earth.

At that moment, Jesus surrendered His own office of Shepherd to Peter.

At that moment, it became the destiny of Peter to follow the Good Shepherd in every detail, even to the laying down of his life. [Jn. 10:11]

My brothers and sisters in Christ, by our presence here today to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we are publicly showing our loyalty to Jesus.

jjl

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