3rd Sunday of Easter

Jesus appeared to seven of his disciples while they were fishing. Before Jesus appeared, they caught nothing. When he instructed them to throw their net into the water and they obeyed, they made a huge catch. This is to teach us that when we invite Jesus into our lives and plans, there is every chance of progress or positive development. The net represents the universal Church where there is room for all people of the world. The number 153 is to teach us that THERE IS ROOM FOR EVERYONE IN THE CHURCH. No one is to be excluded from the Church.
 
Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” And three times Peter answered, “Yes, I love you.” These threefold questions are to cancel out the three times that Peter denied Jesus. The Lord gave him the chance to affirm his love. Jesus, in his gracious mercy, gave Peter the chance to wipe out the memory of the threefold denial. Jesus went ahead to instruct Peter to feed his sheep. In other words, Peter is given the duty, task and responsibility of shepherding the Church, the Body of Christ. When Peter said he loves Christ, it means first he will take on the responsibility of loving others. We can only prove we love Christ by loving other people. It also means that Peter is willing to make sacrifices in his role as the shepherd. Every true shepherd must be ready to make sacrifices for the sheep. Feeding them, sometimes working under difficult conditions of sun or rain. Every act of true and divine love will always involve some form of sacrifice.  
 
Jesus warned Peter that a time will come when he will be led to where he would rather not go. Love and service of Christ and his people, the Church, will require total submission to him and the Holy Spirit who leads us in every form of Christian ministry. To truly be a servant of Christ, one must be led, guided and directed by the Holy Spirit. Ultimately it will involve allowing the Spirit to lead us to where we may not want. The Spirit we know blows wherever He wills. Ours is to humbly follow in obedience like Christ did in his life and ministry. In Lk 4:1, we are told, “Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert.”
 
Dear friends in our Risen Lord, Jesus is also asking you today as he asked Peter, do you love me? If our answer is yes, let us remember what yes means, that we shall love all people, we shall make sacrifice in the process and we shall submit ourselves to the Spirit to lead us in our mission of service, shepherding or feeding the people/children of God the Father whom Jesus died and rose for their salvation.