The Catholic Calendar for Sunday, April 29, 2001
The Third Sunday of Easter
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Acts 5:27-32,40-41
Psalm 30:2,4-6,11-13
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19
Full text: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm
A Reflection on Today's Scripture:
"Do you love me?" (John 21:17)
Today's Gospel is an eloquent message asserting that apart from
Christ, we who bear His name can do nothing of lasting value. We must
come to see Him as Master of all creation, God's Word, Who through
the power of love brought everything into being from nothingness. He
is the One who cleanses us of sin and guilt and fits us to become the
Father's adopted children, conduits bearing His love, which is His
life, into this world.
Peter needed to see and accept these truths. So Jesus began by
powerfully demonstrating that upon obedience to Him, Peter's fishing
net was filled to capacity with one hundred fifty-three large fish.
This can be taken as representing the great number and variety of
people who can be drawn by God to Himself from the sea of humanity by
His power. All unaided human efforts, those made and carried out
without our Lord's bidding will ultimately fail in bringing about
"good."
A second truth is shown Peter (and all who desire to serve Christ)
that God is infinitely forgiving of those who repent. Peter received
the opportunity to be cleansed of the sin and guilt of his threefold
denial of Jesus through his making three declarations of his love for
Christ. Jesus inextricably unites love to the feeding of His lambs
and sheep. In other words, love without works is dead, and work
without love is equally dead. Only works that are prompted by and
incorporated with God's love have the power to save this world.
Jesus, Blessed Savior,
illumine our minds and hearts to these truths,
that in the power of Your Holy Spirit, love and good deeds
can bring forth the salvation of many souls. Amen.
Marie L. Bocko, ocds ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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