Homily Third Sunday of Easter. Year C - Sunday, May 5, 2019
Image By Renata Sedmakova. Shutterstock photo ID: 755413921. LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN - SEPTEMBER 19, 2017: The fresco of scene 'Feed my sheep' - Jesus give the power to St. Peter in church St. Mary Abbots by John Clayton jnr. (end of 19. cent.) –
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: Acts 5:27-32. 40-41
Psalm: Ps 29:2. 4-6. 11-13. "I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me"
Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14
Gospel Acclamation:
Gospel: John 21:1-19
++++
Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers, and reflections for the Third Sunday of Easter. Year C - Sunday, May 5, 2019 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-easter-3c-2019/s-WKWjA (EPISODE: 156)
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The apostles quickly return to the activity that they know best, and which gives them the comfort of familiarity: fishing. But, although they are out all night, they again prove to be totally unsuccessful. Again, Jesus, (albeit unrecognised at first), asks the disciples to follow his instructions and this results in a massive catch of fish. The disciples then RECOGNISE that this is Jesus and they rush to greet him.
It is a reminder to the disciples, and to us, that our success depends entirely upon following the instructions and guidance of the Lord. Without the guidance and direction of Jesus, all our efforts could be misguided (no matter how well intended). It is Jesus who gives success and fruitfulness to the work of our hands.
Jesus does another wonderful thing in this gospel scene. He restored Peter fully to good standing. Peter did a really shocking thing. When it came to the crunch, he let Jesus down and denied that he even knew him, not once but THREE times…. And Peter knew all too well, the terrible remorse of this denial. Peter meant well. When he had told Jesus at the last supper, "I will not abandon you, I will die for you" he meant it. But in the fear of the moment, knowing the real dangers, he lost his nerve and he chose self-preservation and denial, but very soon after this mistake, he regretted it bitterly.
This scene is one of those wonderful examples of just how different God's ways are from human ways. Jesus, thank goodness, shows us Gods infinite kindness, compassion, understanding and forgiveness…
Jesus doesn't reject Peter, and nor does he chide him for what really was a gross lapse in support of our Lord. Rather, Jesus knows Peter and his heart. He already KNOWS that Peter does love him and wants to follow him. He knows that Peter's loyalty is really very strong, and so he gives him this beautiful and moving, and deeply emotional opportunity to reverse his denials and profess his love and support for him.
Jesus gives him (for Peter's sake, not for Our Lord's sake) THREE opportunities to say "I love and believe and follow the Lord" which is as many times as he had denied Christ on the night before the crucifixion. Jesus, in his mercy, gives Peter the perfect opportunity to declare his unswerving support and reminds him that he will suffer for this dedication and eventually he WILL be martyred for his following of Jesus. Next time, Peter will not fail to declare and support Our Lord and show his leadership. Jesus entrusts the care of his beloved people to Peter's care and dedication.
It certainly makes you think… if we were to do things the human way, then the best leader for the group of disciples would hardly have been a man who denied Christ three times when he needed him most…. Nor would we have probably appointed as a worthy leader St Paul, who started out his career persecuting and arresting and getting executed anyone who followed Jesus… if we were looking around for people to lead and care for God's people and only used human standards, these people and many others would have been written off as failed, weak and unreliable….. but God does not think as we think. God sees into the human heart. God sees what we are capable of and God knows that we need forgiveness and a new start in order not to be stuck in our old ways…. God knows that mercy and trust help to set people back on the right path and to do the things God calls them to do….. things that they would never be able to fulfil if we hold everyone to their past faults and always make sure people live in the past and can never have a new start… can never be given a chance to be what that ought to be….
Thank goodness that these people are the leaders of the early church… it gives us a new and wonderful way of seeing things… and it is so liberating and positive!… We all have new chances, new opportunities… and we have a God who loves us, understands us and doesn't want to leave us stuck in our past mistakes… but helps us to begin again, and walk humbly with his guidance and direction……
Let us thank God for this and trust in his guidance to put us back on his right path and keep us there…..
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
Image By Renata Sedmakova. Shutterstock photo ID: 755413921. LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN - SEPTEMBER 19, 2017: The fresco of scene 'Feed my sheep' - Jesus give the power to St. Peter in church St. Mary Abbots by John Clayton jnr. (end of 19. cent.) –
+++
Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address:paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love, A time of Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul W. Kelly
Texts used in this programme are for the purposes of worship and prayer for listeners wherever you are.
Prayers and chants are taken from the English Translation of the Roman Missal, edition three, © 2010, The International commission on English in the liturgy.
Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, by the national council of Churches of Christ, USA. , //adaptations to conform with Catholic liturgical norms, © 2009, by the same.
[{selected psalms } - ***Psalm verses are (also) taken from "The Psalms: A New Translation" ©1963, The Grail (England), published by Collins.. **]
Prayers of the Faithful are adapted from Robert Borg's 1993 book " Together we pray". Published in Sydney Australia By E.J. Dwyer. (out of print).
{ "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -published 2011, Composed and Sung by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski
Featuring the….Gloria, The Creed, The Kyrie, The Mass parts, Psalms: http://www.ccwatershed.org/chabanel/ ]]] ] COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/Ralph_Sherwin_Videos/
"Faith, Hope and Love" theme Hymn: Words, based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, set to original music © 1996 by Paul W. Kelly.
For more details please visit http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au/
Contact us atpaulwkelly68@gmail.com
Production by Kelly Enterprises Resources.
May God bless and keep you.
Third Sunday of Easter. Year C
(Sunday, May 5, 2019)
(EPISODE: 156 )
The Lord be with you.
+++++++++++++
My brothers and sisters, we have gathered to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, - so let us pause and reflect upon our sins, so as to rejoice in Gods loving mercy.
Lord Jesus, you have revealed yourself as the way to the Father: Lord, have mercy//You have poured out on your people the Spirit of truth: Christ, have mercy//You are the Good Shepherd, leading us to eternal life: Lord, have mercy.//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Memorial Acclamation
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Easter II
Euch Prayer Three
Communion side. pwk: LH
++++
Go forth, the Mass is ended.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: Acts 5:27-32. 40-41
Psalm: Ps 29:2. 4-6. 11-13. "I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me"
Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14
Gospel Acclamation:
Gospel: John 21:1-19
++++
Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers, and reflections for the Third Sunday of Easter. Year C - Sunday, May 5, 2019 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-easter-3c-2019/s-WKWjA (EPISODE: 156)
+++++
The apostles quickly return to the activity that they know best, and which gives them the comfort of familiarity: fishing. But, although they are out all night, they again prove to be totally unsuccessful. Again, Jesus, (albeit unrecognised at first), asks the disciples to follow his instructions and this results in a massive catch of fish. The disciples then RECOGNISE that this is Jesus and they rush to greet him.
It is a reminder to the disciples, and to us, that our success depends entirely upon following the instructions and guidance of the Lord. Without the guidance and direction of Jesus, all our efforts could be misguided (no matter how well intended). It is Jesus who gives success and fruitfulness to the work of our hands.
Jesus does another wonderful thing in this gospel scene. He restored Peter fully to good standing. Peter did a really shocking thing. When it came to the crunch, he let Jesus down and denied that he even knew him, not once but THREE times…. And Peter knew all too well, the terrible remorse of this denial. Peter meant well. When he had told Jesus at the last supper, "I will not abandon you, I will die for you" he meant it. But in the fear of the moment, knowing the real dangers, he lost his nerve and he chose self-preservation and denial, but very soon after this mistake, he regretted it bitterly.
This scene is one of those wonderful examples of just how different God's ways are from human ways. Jesus, thank goodness, shows us Gods infinite kindness, compassion, understanding and forgiveness…
Jesus doesn't reject Peter, and nor does he chide him for what really was a gross lapse in support of our Lord. Rather, Jesus knows Peter and his heart. He already KNOWS that Peter does love him and wants to follow him. He knows that Peter's loyalty is really very strong, and so he gives him this beautiful and moving, and deeply emotional opportunity to reverse his denials and profess his love and support for him.
Jesus gives him (for Peter's sake, not for Our Lord's sake) THREE opportunities to say "I love and believe and follow the Lord" which is as many times as he had denied Christ on the night before the crucifixion. Jesus, in his mercy, gives Peter the perfect opportunity to declare his unswerving support and reminds him that he will suffer for this dedication and eventually he WILL be martyred for his following of Jesus. Next time, Peter will not fail to declare and support Our Lord and show his leadership. Jesus entrusts the care of his beloved people to Peter's care and dedication.
It certainly makes you think… if we were to do things the human way, then the best leader for the group of disciples would hardly have been a man who denied Christ three times when he needed him most…. Nor would we have probably appointed as a worthy leader St Paul, who started out his career persecuting and arresting and getting executed anyone who followed Jesus… if we were looking around for people to lead and care for God's people and only used human standards, these people and many others would have been written off as failed, weak and unreliable….. but God does not think as we think. God sees into the human heart. God sees what we are capable of and God knows that we need forgiveness and a new start in order not to be stuck in our old ways…. God knows that mercy and trust help to set people back on the right path and to do the things God calls them to do….. things that they would never be able to fulfil if we hold everyone to their past faults and always make sure people live in the past and can never have a new start… can never be given a chance to be what that ought to be….
Thank goodness that these people are the leaders of the early church… it gives us a new and wonderful way of seeing things… and it is so liberating and positive!… We all have new chances, new opportunities… and we have a God who loves us, understands us and doesn't want to leave us stuck in our past mistakes… but helps us to begin again, and walk humbly with his guidance and direction……
Let us thank God for this and trust in his guidance to put us back on his right path and keep us there…..
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly
Image By Renata Sedmakova. Shutterstock photo ID: 755413921. LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN - SEPTEMBER 19, 2017: The fresco of scene 'Feed my sheep' - Jesus give the power to St. Peter in church St. Mary Abbots by John Clayton jnr. (end of 19. cent.) –
+++
Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address:paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love, A time of Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul W. Kelly
Texts used in this programme are for the purposes of worship and prayer for listeners wherever you are.
Prayers and chants are taken from the English Translation of the Roman Missal, edition three, © 2010, The International commission on English in the liturgy.
Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, by the national council of Churches of Christ, USA. , //adaptations to conform with Catholic liturgical norms, © 2009, by the same.
[{selected psalms } - ***Psalm verses are (also) taken from "The Psalms: A New Translation" ©1963, The Grail (England), published by Collins.. **]
Prayers of the Faithful are adapted from Robert Borg's 1993 book " Together we pray". Published in Sydney Australia By E.J. Dwyer. (out of print).
{ "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -published 2011, Composed and Sung by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski
Featuring the….Gloria, The Creed, The Kyrie, The Mass parts, Psalms: http://www.ccwatershed.org/chabanel/ ]]] ] COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/Ralph_Sherwin_Videos/
"Faith, Hope and Love" theme Hymn: Words, based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, set to original music © 1996 by Paul W. Kelly.
For more details please visit http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au/
Contact us atpaulwkelly68@gmail.com
Production by Kelly Enterprises Resources.
May God bless and keep you.
Third Sunday of Easter. Year C
(Sunday, May 5, 2019)
(EPISODE: 156 )
The Lord be with you.
+++++++++++++
My brothers and sisters, we have gathered to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, - so let us pause and reflect upon our sins, so as to rejoice in Gods loving mercy.
Lord Jesus, you have revealed yourself as the way to the Father: Lord, have mercy//You have poured out on your people the Spirit of truth: Christ, have mercy//You are the Good Shepherd, leading us to eternal life: Lord, have mercy.//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Memorial Acclamation
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Easter II
Euch Prayer Three
Communion side. pwk: LH
++++
Go forth, the Mass is ended.
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