Homily On the Third Sunday of Easter
May 1st, 2022: Do You Love Me?
On this third Sunday of Easter, we hear conversations between the Lord and his apostles. Firstly, the instruction to go fishing in a different way. Let us not forget, Jesus had chosen his apostles to become fishermen of men. But they had returned to their daily job as if he had not called them. The second conversation is with Peter alone. Peter, now you love me? Three times the Lord wanted to hear the confession of Peter. After his denial, Peter has to confirm thrice his faith in and love for the Lord.
We can learn three lessons from this Gospel. The third is that our relation with Jesus needs confirmation. Not just three times, but every day. Do you love me, is the question we have to answer every day. In your troubles, do you love me? In your doubts, do you still love me? In your little faith, you do love me, don't you?
The second is that our answer, just like Peter’s, will bring a task from Jesus. Peter has to tend the sheep of the Lord, and so do we. Yes, we have to tend and love the sheep that belong to Jesus. We all have to love them, and love them all. Particularly those the Lord has chosen to serve him as his priests, have to love all the sheep that belong to him, and Him alone.
And the first lesson is that the miraculous catch of fish is only the fruit of Peter’s obedience to the Lord. Peter has learned that the success of his work depends entirely on God’s mercy. And so does the work of the priests when they spend the Sacraments, depend completely on God’s infinite grace. With God we can do everything, without Him we can do nothing. Only with the Lord we can sing the words from the book of Revelation “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour, glory and might, forever and ever.”
When we start the month of May, we want to honour the Virgin Mary. Let us venerate her because she renewed her love for her son Jesus every day. We venerate her too because she loves each and every of the lambs that belong to her Son Jesus. Each one of us. We venerate her because she gives glory to God while every generation praises her for the wonders the Lord did to her. Amen.
