3rd Sunday of Easter (Cycle C, Year II)
Community Word: Missionaries of the Risen Christ serve God in love.
Theme: We serve God in love when we obey His commandments.
Promise: “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” (Jn 2:6)
Reflection:
The readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter help us to reflect on how we can be faithful to God’s commands. It is easy to follow the Lord when everything is going well in our lives, but when we experience trials or encounter difficulties, will we give in to despair or will we endure the hardship?
In the 1st reading, we clearly see how St. Peter rejoices in being able to give witness to Jesus even if it meant having to “suffer dishonor” for doing so. When he and the other apostles were asked to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, they replied, “We must obey God rather than men,” (Acts 5:29b). And in the Responsorial Psalm, we see the prayer of one who realizes that God protects the faithful in the face of one’s enemies. In the Book of Revelation, John, the beloved of Jesus, was shown a glimpse of the joyful celebration of God’s heavenly court, as a reward for those who are true to the Master. And in the Gospel of John, the apostles rejoiced over their great catch when they followed the command of Jesus to cast their nets to the other side of the boat.
Being faithful in the name of Jesus may fill us with much joy, knowing we are in the eternal presence of God. But dedicating one’s life to the Lord, obeying all His commands and serving Him requires humility, obedience, and selflessness. One may have to endure trials, suffering and oppression. In our spiritual journey, we experience a “roller-coaster” ride, in one moment we feel the excitement of service and prayers, yet in other moments we become overwhelmed with dryness and discouragement. Following Jesus is not always a high and uplifted feeling. Like Jesus, His hour of glory included the cross, and we, His Christian followers, cannot expect to arrive at the glory of eternal experience unless we carry our own cross and die to our old selves.
We see the experience of St. Peter whose responses to the person of Jesus were inconsistent, yet in the end he was martyred for Christ. He doubted Jesus when chosen to walk on water, and out of fear, he denied knowing Jesus when Jesus was arrested. Yet it was to Peter that the Spirit revealed who Jesus is – the Christ, Son of the Living God. He was one of the selected few to see the glory of Jesus in His transfiguration and among those upon whom the Holy Spirit descended on Pentecost. We may not become martyrs like Peter, but in spite of our imperfection and doubts, we can choose to follow Jesus, for He has the words of eternal life.
Jesus repeatedly asked Peter, “Do you love me?” and he always answered, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” (cf. Jn 21:15-18). Yet, the test of loving Jesus is not merely in words, but in our commitment to follow and serve Him. When Jesus says, “Follow me” (Jn 21:19), it is an invitation to obey and serve Him with unwavering faith and unconditional love for God and others. We have to follow Him with a willingness to serve, feed and care for the flock entrusted to us. We are commissioned to bring more and more people to Christ, to God’s kingdom. It is with deep faith that we listen to Jesus’ words of assurance, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat, and you will find something,” (Jn 2: 6). The miracle of catching a number of fish despite catching none earlier showed the disciples that when they followed Jesus’ command, their efforts became fruitful. As present-day disciples of Christ, all we need to do is be faithful to Jesus and believe that when we follow Him we will glorify His Father in heaven.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, through Your goodness, You call us into a closer relationship with You. You invite us to give witness to that relationship by proclaiming Your Holy Name and in Your Son, Jesus. Help us to show our love for You even when we face difficulties, especially for being Your faithful disciples. For the times we have failed to love You and to tend to the needs of those You entrusted to us, we seek Your pardon and forgiveness. Grant us perseverance and strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit. We give You all honor, glory, and praise, God, forever and ever. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- How will you respond to Jesus when He asks “Do you love me?” How do you manifest your love for Him?
- Share your joys and/ or hardships you have experienced being a follower of Jesus?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
May 1, 2022 (Sun) – Acts 5:27-32, 40-41/ Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13/ Rv 5:11-14/ Jn 21:1-19
May 2, 2022 (Mon) – Acts 6:8-15/ Ps 119:23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30/ Jn 6:22-29
May 3, 2022 (Tue) – 1 Cor 15:1-8/ Ps 19:2-3, 4-5/ Jn 14:6-14
May 4, 2022 (Wed) – Acts 8:1-8/ Ps 66:1-3, 4, 5, 6, 7/ Jn 6:32-40
May 5, 2022 (Thu) – Acts 8:26-40/ Ps 66:8-9, 16-17, 20/ Jn 6:44-51
May 6, 2022 (Fri) – Acts 9:1-20/ Ps 117:1, 2/ Jn 6:52-59
May 7, 2022 (Sat) – Acts 9:31-42/ Ps 116:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17/ Jn 6:60-69
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
