Third Sunday of Easter C Joh 21,1-19

Indeed we have all had the experience that even though we have sound hearing, we have not heard. We already observe that when children are preoccupied with play, they do not respond to being addressed. They don’t listen. In love, not only do they not see or hear, we say they have a world of their own. In middle-aged people, it is possible to observe that they live in a hurry of their own making and do not hear not only the voices of their dear ones in their surroundings, their pleas, their wishes, but equally, they do not listen to the voice of their conscience. It is also possible to observe in the elderly that although their ears still serve them well, they can hear well, yet they do not hear. God speaks to them through things, events, and people, and they behave as if they were to live here for another hundred years.
The Easter season is a call from the Risen Christ to be more aware of and practice his calls necessary for our salvation in our lives.

The last words of the Risen Christ in today’s Gospel are not addressed only to Peter but to each one of us. Jesus invites us to “Follow me.” (Jn 21:19)!

The Gospels speak of listening, of the importance and the need to know, to want to hear Christ: “All who heard him were amazed at his understanding.” (Lk 2:47). “The people hung on him and listened to him” (Lk. 19:48). “He who is of God hears the words of God. You do not listen because you are not of God” (Jn. 8:47).
For three years, the disciples and the crowd listened to Jesus. He spoke as no one had spoken before him. After the resurrection, the Lord Jesus addresses the disciples again. He appeared to them at the Sea of Tiberias, now called Tabgha, near Capernaum, when the seven disciples, led by Peter, were fishing. They were fishermen and had to live on something as human beings. Just as they had three years earlier when Jesus had chosen them as disciples, they toiled all night and caught nothing. In the morning silence, Jesus addressed them from the shore, “Children, have you anything to eat?” They answered him: “We have none.” He said to them: “Let down the net from the right side of the boat, and you will find. They let down the net, and because of the multitude of fish, they could not pull it in.” (Jn. 21:5-6). The apostle John writes of himself: “The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter: “This is the Lord'” (Jn. 21:7). John heard the words of Jesus, but it was not until he was over the full net that he realized that it was Jesus who had addressed them from the shore. The apostle Peter also heard Jesus and also saw the full net of fish, but it is only at John’s words that he realizes that Jesus is standing on the shore. And his behavior? What follows? “As soon as Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girded on his clothes – for he was naked – and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat…” (Jn. 21:7-8). In the response of the two apostles, we can trace a message of faith and love that can be expressed in the words, “Love that you may believe and believe that you may love.” John is full of love for Christ. Even when he stood under the cross of Christ, he did not stop loving. Love opened the eyes of John’s heart. He did not doubt that the voice from the shore belonged to Jesus. The words of John, the testimony of John, awakened the faith in Peter. They both remembered the miraculous fishing. Then Peter tried to object: “…we toiled all night and caught nothing.” (Luke 5:5). Since then, only three years have passed, and much has changed in Peter’s life. God’s grace had touched his heart. And that is why he now acts as he does. He doesn’t wait until they come with the little boat to the shore. He hurries. He believes in loving… The two disciples hear Jesus’ voice and respond. That’s not all Jesus has to say to them at that moment. Peter doesn’t know that Jesus is going to ask him three questions in this third encounter, questions to which Jesus wants a clear answer. Jesus asks Simon, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” (Jn. 21:15, 16, 17)? Three times Peter denied Jesus in Pilate’s courtyard. Three times he answers, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” “Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest well that I love thee.” (Jn. 21:15, 16, 17). Jesus does not criticize Peter for his denial; on the contrary, Jesus is not speaking to John, his most beloved apostle, but to Peter: “Feed my lambs.” “Feed my sheep!” “Feed my sheep! Verily, when you were younger, I say unto you that you girded thyself and wentest whithersoever you wouldest. But when thou art old, thou stretchest forth thy hands, another girdeth thee, and leadeth thee whither thou wilt not.” (Jn. 21:15, 16, 17-18). Jesus establishes Peter as the rock of faith. To believe is also to love. It is impossible to fulfill our duties properly without love. Every person belongs to God. Jesus entrusts Peter with the care of every man. The Apostle St. James, who was present at this event, writes: “… even the devils believe and tremble.” (Jas 2:19). We understand this to mean that one cannot believe in Christ and fear Him. The righteous lives by faith. God is love.

Jesus is waiting for our response. It is impossible to stop our ears before the Word of God, to not give an answer with our lives. God speaks to us through the voice of our conscience, through the Church, through people, things, and events. Later, when Peter is under investigation, when he is strictly forbidden to teach in Jesus’ name, he confesses: “God is to be obeyed more than men.” (Acts 5:29). Peter hears Christ and responds as Christ expects him to.
The Easter season demands the same of each of us. “Love to believe and believe in loving!”
Listen to God and respond as God asks. Jesus died for our sins. Today we realize the importance and need to learn to listen to God in our lives and respond rightly, not only with words but also with thoughts and actions. A child does not listen to his parents’ words, perhaps responding to the third or fourth address. How does he love his parents? The student does not listen to the teacher. Can he receive praise? When a car driver does not listen to the running of the car engine, he may mess up his car. If an athlete, a runner, does not follow the starter’s spot, can he stand on the podium? And if we care about listening in our ordinary social, sporting, cultural life, and shouldn’t in our spiritual life? Listen to save my soul. To listen and respond appropriately to the demands made. To obey means for us to do everything in our lives to fulfill what God asks of us. “Follow me” (Jn 21:19)! The call of Jesus to each one of us. An invitation that is not limited by time, space, place, and people.

The journal L Éncyclopedie de la vie pratique (Encyclopedia of Practical Life) states that the average person, in his 70 years of life, devotes: 8 years to study and education, nine years to entertainment, three years to bodily hygiene, six years to eating, five years to walking, 11 years to work, four years to reading, 24 years to sleep and rest.
We realize that whatever we do is for our salvation. All our activity is to be a response to God’s address. The Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus is to remind us annually of the change of life towards God. It is meant to turn from darkness to light, from the fear, futility, and unreasonableness of the night of life to new hope, a new future. May whenever Jesus steps onto the shore of our lives, a recent morning begins there. Their life gains meaning and center. It is fitting, therefore, that we ask ourselves not only questions about where to look for the risen Christ, how to know him, what he wants from me, what to do so that I do not miss him but let us notice that the risen Jesus comes to us; Jesus addresses us, gives us counsel…

Easter also requires us to answer the questions. Do I do his words? Do I trust that Jesus knows what I need? Do I belong to those who believe that Jesus can give better advice? Jesus is also interested in the material things of his faithful. He prepared bread and fish for the disciples on the shore. Thus, to believe and love God is not only to be concerned about spiritual things but also to live with Christ to pursue material things. Even in such areas as death and sickness.
Hospital. Award for women. A dying woman. Everyone around the woman knows she is dying. Even she knows it. The priest present wants to prepare her to meet God the Judge. Only she is adamant. She dies unreconciled to God. God speaks to her, but she doesn’t want him; she can no longer hear, even with healthy ears. God has been so close to her and yet so far away at the same time.
Another example. She was only thirteen years old. During the conversation, she remarked: “I have to move away. I’m going to go get a shot.” Is she sick? Something serious? She has diabetes. She talked about her father when she returned: “I love my father very much. I used to sit on his lap as a little girl. I loved him even though he would come home drunk. I often prayed for him. One day I said to God, ‘God, I pray for my father that he will not drink anymore. The remedy did not come. A year ago, I prayed like this: God, you know how much I love him. If it is Your will, let me be sick, but let my father get well and stop drinking alcohol. Dad changed that year. He doesn’t drink anymore. He goes to a meeting of ex-alcoholics. I pray for him to persevere.” She said this with such peace on her face, happy that Dad was with Mom and her again, that there was peace in their home. I realized that God had heard her. Why so literally? Because that year, the girl got diabetes. She is only thirteen years old.
God is listening. Are we listening to God?
We know the words of the American officer Claude Katherly, who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, who fell into a state of mental neurasthenia and, as a result of a permanent conflict of conscience, attempted suicide twice: “I dream incessantly that I am haunted by the thousands killed, the screams of the mutilated disturb me for days, and the shadows of the slaughtered mar my eyes.” He killed 78,000 people. Doctors tried to cure the patient, but unsuccessfully.

Jesus triumphed over death. We accept this fact, which becomes our encouragement for the next life. We not only hear about the resurrection, but we live it.

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