1. --
Lanie LeBlanc OP
2. -- Carol &
Dennis Keller
3. --
Brian Gleeson CP
4. --
Paul O'Reilly SJ
5. --(Your
reflection can be here!)
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1.
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3rd Sunday of Easter
Our Gospel story has many wonderful points for reflection
this week. Since many people are still in the process of
recovering from the life changing effects of the pandemic
and are attempting a less isolated lifestyle, my thought was
that the apostles must have felt a bit the same in a way,
thinking something like : "OK, now what do we do?" Jesus is
right there to tell and show them.
Jesus tells them to do something familiar: go fishing.
They chose to do so even though they had spent a tiring
night doing just that, but completely unsuccessfully. The
physical results this time were more than amazing and Jesus
cooking breakfast for them was even more so!
There are all kinds of helpful things we can read into
this story and take from it. Weariness seems more a part of
life these days than ever, perhaps compounded by lingering
feelings of stress, loss, and grief. Yet, we are still
called to do what Jesus says, and then, to do what Jesus
did.
Life as a follower of Jesus is just not easy! What Jesus
told us to do and did himself involves both faith and
action. Jesus guides us and oh, how he nourishes us!
While Jesus may not supply an unexpected meal these days
when we are famished or exhausted, maybe even a bit
despondent, what has he provided during those times? I can
remember some simple things such as having time for a nap, a
phone call from a friend, seeing a sole flower in a
desolated place, the sun peeking from behind a mass of
clouds, or an impromptu hug from a family member, usually
the youngest! These "God-sightings", as the children and
volunteers in Vacation Bible Camp called them, are
revitalizing.
It is time to "see" and experience anew the good around
us and remember from Whom they come. It is time to reach out
in small ways and larger ones to those close to us and those
whom we wish were closer to us to share God's goodness.
Those ways will build our physical, emotional, and spiritual
strength little by little until, before we know it, we will
actually feel and visibly see the fruits of the Holy
Spirit's work in us once again, just like He said!
Blessings,
Dr. Lanie
LeBlanc OP
Southern
Dominican Laity
lanie@leblanc.one
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2.
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Third Sunday of Easter May 1 2022
Acts of Apostles 5:27-32 & 40-41; Responsorial
Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; Gospel Acclamation "Christ is
Risen, creator of all; he has shown pity on all people!";
John 21:1-19
It is interesting to note how the scriptures for this
Sunday are like a wrap. The first reading from the Acts of
the Apostles speaks of the fear of the Sanhedrin and the
chief priest at the preaching of Peter and the apostles. The
gospel finishes off the lesson this Sunday, the third of
Easter, by describing the church. Lest we be confused, this
is the church, the assembly, those called together in local
parish worshipping, caring for each other, and living out
the good news that is the mission and ministry of Jesus –
this one born like us but divine as well, as the second
reading insists. This church, this people called together in
solidarity, in hope springing into faith and in faith
demanding charity – this is the church of which John’s
gospel reading this Sunday speaks. The institutional church
is a support group for the People of God, not the other way
around. Taking each of these three reading this Sunday might
be helpful in gaining a greater understanding of who we are
as the People of God.
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we should
first remember that the apostles were jailed by the
Sanhedrin for preaching the good news about Jesus’ death and
resurrection. The religious leadership thought to silence
them by imprisonment. The story that begins our reading this
Sunday tells us an angel came in the night to the prison and
led those apostles through the locked cells, past
unsuspecting and unaware guards. How surprised was the
Sanhedrin when the apostles were once again on temple
grounds, preaching yet again the message of Jesus crucified
and risen. They were promptly rounded up and brought before
the chief priest and the Sanhedrin. The officer of the
prison and of the guards was questioned about his failure to
secure these men. The officer insisted he had done his job
and could not explain how it was these men were free. The
Sanhedrin felt their authority was threatened and thus their
power and influence would be lost. The apostles preaching
despite commanded by religious authority to cease and desist
was a challenge to their power. That seems their overriding
concern. Yet again, there was the matter of their complicity
in the murder of this innocent man, Jesus. After all it was
Pilate who carried out the execution. In their failure to
accept responsibility this Sanhedrin piled guilt upon guilt
with no sense of remorse, of repentance, of seeking
forgiveness for their murder of the Christ, the Lord.
Failing to acknowledge their complicity in His death, they
were refusing reconciliation with God.
The apostles who once hid themselves behind locked doors,
suddenly have an abundance of courage. The resurrection has
given them the strength of character to remember the works
and words of Jesus. There is here clarity of those who wish
to deny their guilt and sinfulness and those who acknowledge
their failures. The apostles understood Jesus’ words on the
cross: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they
do." The apostles understood and used the crises to discover
hope and from hope into faith. Faith demanded they preach,
heal, and teach. The Sanhedrin is lost to history. The
apostles continue to reveal and to provide an avenue for
hope and from hope to faith and from faith to charity. The
question for each of us this third Sunday of Easter is
simple: do we have the hope in the resurrection that came to
the apostles and disciples? If so, do we live in that hope,
that faith, and with that charity toward humanity and
creation?
The second reading is from that terribly misused book of
Revelation by another John from the one who was the beloved
disciple. In his visions that occurred during his exile to
the island of Patmos, we are taken to the presence of God in
what we identify as paradise and/or heaven. The images in
the vision are of the lamb of God – that terrific image
found in Isaiah. We should remember that Isaiah prophesized
about the suffering servant in the second segment of that
prophet. The word for servant and the word for lamb in
Hebrew are the same. There is an obvious connection with the
lamb with the Exodus where the lamb’s blood on the lintels
of doorways saved the first born from death. In the song of
the living creatures and the elders – numbering in tens of
tens of thousands, a great cloud of witnesses to the Lamb
there are seven attributes declared to be the Lamb’s.
The first is power: this is not military might as we
might first conjecture. It is the strength to accomplish, to
achieve whatever plan is God’s. There is no failure of God’s
plan that can be laid to the Lamb – because that Lamb has
the strength to do God’s will.
The second is riches: this is not gold, silver,
treasuries loaded with precious gems or fossil fuels. These
riches are what is needed to achieve God’s plan, God’s will.
The third is wisdom: this is the knowledge and
comprehension of the secrets of God and of the answers to
all the problems of life.
The fourth is strength: this is the energy and endurance
to disarm the power of evil and overthrow Satan.
The fifth is honor: this is the magnificence of the Lamb
at which every knee will bend, and every tongue confess that
the Lamb is Lord. This is by no command but only by the
Lamb’s presence.
The sixth is glory: glory is the presence of the Living
God. The glory of the Lamb is the glory of God, thus proving
that the Lamb of God, Jesus, is indeed divine.
The seventh is blessing: blessing is what is given to
creation to make it whole, complete in the image and
likeness it is of the Creator. The six other characteristics
of the Lamb are used in service to humanity. Jesus, the
Lamb, gives of those others freely, as blessings extended to
all who would seek them.
The four living creatures – the four evangelists’ authors
of the gospels – shout their Amen’s. We use that word to end
every prayer or to announce something of great importance.
Once I heard a linguist describe the etymology of that word.
I have not found support for it online, but it adds
additional color to the use of the word. I was told it
derived from Aramaic, from those nomads who shepherded their
flocks in the desert lands of the middle east. They made
their homes in moveable tents, a round sort of affair that
was formed around a central tent post. That post was planted
in the sand/soil and formed the basis for their homes. That
teacher of mine said that what Amen meant to the herder and
his family a simple statement. "Here I plant my tent pole."
Here it is that I have my home, here is my heart at rest,
here it is that my family is sheltered and nourished. So,
saying Amen in that sense means what I have prayed, what I
have said, what I believe, what I pray for and about is
where my heart is. May it be so, always.
The gospel this Sunday seems to be an addition to John’s
gospel. It is added to set aside conjectures that the
appearance of Jesus after his crucifixion was merely a
vision, one shared by the intensity of his presence before
his death. Or perhaps it was mere a group hallucination.
John’s gospel insists this was no vision, no hallucination.
Jesus is presented as building a cooking fire and baking
bread on it along with a fish. It was to be a breakfast. The
apostles were fishing – a return to their former life as it
was not apparent to them what mission was theirs. At Jesus’
direction they cast their nets – even though exhausted from
a long unsuccessful night of such work. They caught an
abundance of fish – well, John says 153. John never makes
such a remark in his gospel except to point to something
important. There are many conjectures by scholars about what
it means. St. Jerome presents us with one that makes a lot
of sense to me. He says there are 153 varieties of fish in
the rivers and lakes and seas. That was the common
understanding in those times. The fact that 153 are caught
in that net means to say that all nations, all peoples, all
races, all colors, all languages, all genders, all classes
of persons – all, each and every person is acceptable in the
church. The great net of the fishermen should have broken
from the diversity and number. But it did not – nor does it
today. Diversity is often used to exclude. In this gospel
there is no acceptable reason for exclusion of anyone. All
people are gathered into the love and mystery of Jesus The
Christ. The net that is the church, the People of God is
expansive enough to gather all. This net is not one of
confinement but of inclusion, as is a shelter for all. It
was Peter, recall, who draws the net to land, to where the
Christ stands making breakfast for us all.
If we understand our pain, our struggles, our challenges
we can understand why we hold that Jesus is The Christ.
There is hope in his ministry, in his sticking to his
mission despite death, even death on a cross. A recent news
story indicates that adolescents in our time are struggling
with the conditions of the world. The confusion, the lack of
peace, the absence of justice, the increasing divide between
wealth and poverty, power and lack of resources is a cause
of despair. Where is there a way forward? Where is there
hope for a life that supports, educates, nourishes, supports
creativity and commitment? The message this Sunday has the
potential of supplying energy, insight, hope and movements
of the heart to a higher aspiration than current civil,
industrial, and military establishments offer. In the face
of adversity and violence we have the option of listening to
the risen One as he says to each, "Be not afraid. Peace be
with you."
Dennis
Keller
dkeller002@nc.rr.com
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3.
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UPS AND DOWNS OF FOLLOWING JESUS: 3RD SUNDAY EASTER
C
Let me tell you a true story about a young girl, who said
to her father one day: ‘Dad, I would like to play the harp.’
Her father was sympathetic but tried to discourage his
daughter from pursuing that dream. ‘They cost a lot of
money,’ he said, ‘and your mom is very sick. ‘But I’ll work
my holidays and Saturdays,’ she answered. ‘It’s impossible,
you’re only 14.’ her dad retorted. But with dogged
determination, she stuck to her plans until with her
mother’s illness she could work no longer. She had saved
$1200, but where do you find a harp for $1200? It seemed
like a busted dream. But then the impossible happened. Call
it coincidence or call it divine providence? A harp teacher
told her of an older woman who had a very good harp and no
longer played it. The teacher said she would ask on the
girl’s behalf. That very day the lady with the harp happened
to be home for the first time in three years. ‘Yes,’ she
said: ‘I still have the harp and I will sell it to the young
girl for what she can afford.’ Not only that! She offered to
teach her how to play it without the usual fees. Soon the
girl’s family home was echoing day after day to the
beautiful sounds of the harp.
We human beings are full of purpose and plans, goals,
objectives, and targets. The possibility of achieving them
leads us to make far-reaching changes in our lives. This is
illustrated by our decision, renewed on Easter Sunday, to
reject sin and evil and to follow Jesus in a life of
unselfish loving.
Experience suggests that involvement in the life of the
Church and its goals is mostly an experience of fulfillment
and hope. Experience also suggests that this is not always
the case, since sometimes we also have frustrations and
failures, disappointments and discouragement. At such times
we come face to face with our frailty and inadequacy, as
well as that of others.
For the sake of continuing our commitment, it will help
to reflect on the situation of the disciples in today's
gospel reading. Seven of them are mentioned. To their credit
they had previously responded to the invitation of Jesus to
be his companions, to share his mission of making the
kingdom of God happen on earth, and to share his activities
of teaching, helping, and healing for the kingdom. In their
shared life and work, they have known times of elation,
excitement, and high achievement. But right now, it has all
come to an abrupt end. Jesus their beloved Master, has been
arrested, sentenced, and killed.
Right now, they are grief-stricken and feeling that
without his presence, his inspiration and guidance, his
support and encouragement, they simply cannot go on. So, in
this gospel scene, we find them many miles from Jerusalem,
the place of the crucifixion, and the scene of their
failures and disappointments. They have returned to Galilee
and their former occupations. In a sense, they have left the
Church.
It's within this situation of disappointed hopes and
broken dreams that Jesus comes back into their lives. Not
simply as Jesus of Nazareth this time, but as the Risen
Lord, powerful and empowering. The details of the story of
this meeting suggest that Jesus is forgiving them for
abandoning him and his mission, that he is re-commissioning
them to continue his life and work, and that he is
strengthening their resolve to re-commit.
Their human weakness is dramatized in their failure to
catch any fish. But the encouragement and assistance of
Jesus change their failure into success. We learn that they
haul 'the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred
and fifty-three of them.’ This dramatically represents Jesus
re-commissioning them to their previous calling to be
'fishers of people.’ It also symbolizes Jesus working with
them to ensure the success of their work.
We note also the significance of the breakfast on the
beach which Jesus provides. It may be seen as 'a communion
breakfast,’ in which Jesus gives himself as nourishment,
sustenance, and support to his friends.
The story of the first disciples and their encounter with
the Risen One is our story too. We can easily identify with
their weaknesses and failures, their despondency and
discouragement, their disillusionment and despair. We too
can be feeling, at least sometimes: 'I didn't think that my
life would work out like this. I thought people would be
more appreciative, and be more ready to make allowances. I
expected more satisfaction and more meaning than what I'm
getting. Is that all there is? Just how long I can keep
belonging to Jesus Christ and keep striving to follow him
and work for him in this community?’
When we are thinking and feeling like that, it’s clear
that we have lost heart. On the other hand, it’s a signal,
as the saying goes, 'to let go and let God.’ Thinking and
feeling like that is a signal to us to let the Risen Christ
come to us as he came to his first friends, and to give us
that new heart, that new Spirit, that new meaning and
purpose, and that new energy which they received, and which
we need so much. In our Holy Communion with the Risen Jesus
today, let’s share with him what we are thinking and feeling
about it all!
"Brian
Gleeson CP" <bgleesoncp@gmail.com>
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Year C: 3rd Sunday of Easter
"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these
others do?"
The day I was ordained, just before the ceremony, I
remember asking the Bishop who was ordaining me what he
thought it really meant to be an ordained priest in the
Church. He thought for a moment, forebore to comment on my
timing of the question, and then he said, "it just means
being a Christian... ... ... in public!"
And immediately, I knew exactly what he meant.
You see, I had the misfortune of going to a Jesuit school
where they played rugby. I think I just might have been the
worst rugby player they ever had. It’s a biggish claim
because there were some others who were pretty bad also.
But, I think I earned the title because I was the slowest
runner - I heard a few weeks ago that, forty-something years
on, I still hold the record for the slowest hundred metres
ever run on the School sports day. And with my bad eyesight,
I generally couldn’t see most of the players, let alone the
ball.
But one day - I think there must have been a ‘flu
epidemic - they decided they were so short that they had to
pick me for the school team. Because I couldn’t run,
couldn’t tackle and couldn’t see, they put me out on the
left wing where I could do least harm and they gave the
outside centre strict instructions never, ever, under any
circumstances whatever, to pass me the ball.
It was a close game. Right at the end, we were losing by
two points. We needed to score. Inevitably, the worst
happened and all my fears came true. The ball came along the
line to the outside centre. He beat two men, but was tackled
short of the line. In desperation, he offloaded the ball to
me and pointed to the try-line – only ten yards away at
most.
And you can guess the rest.
At least for once I caught the ball.
I ran as fast as ever I could.
I strained with every sinew I possessed.
I stretched for the line.
And I was tackled
And I dropped the ball a yard – less than a yard – a foot
- short of the line.
The whistle blew for the knock-on.
The game was over and I had lost the game for my team.
It felt like I’d let down my friends, my family, my
school, my country, my religion, my entire planet and a
pretty decent chunk of the solar system. It was the lowest
moment of my life, before or since.
It may seem like a small thing now, but these things
really matter when you are 11. And for months afterwards I
prayed so hard – even harder than I prayed for good exam
results – I prayed that God would never again either
literally or metaphorically put the ball in my hands ten
yards from any kind of goal-line. That was the kind of
responsibility I knew I could not handle.
So, today, I would ask your prayers for all those who
attempt to follow the vocation of being a Christian in
public, all those who, whether formally ordained or not,
attempt to pick up the ball of the Christian life and run
with it. Generally, they will have needed persuasion even to
be on the pitch. They will not have chosen their position,
nor the timing of the pass that comes to them. But they will
know that they have been called, chosen, trained as best
they can and perhaps even ordained to give the best service
of which they are capable. They will do their best. They
will carry the ball as far as they can. But they will need
the prayers, support and help of every spectator in the
ground. And, in my experience, someone to pick them up
afterwards.
So we pray that the Lord who calls us may also give us
all the grace to be true "Christians in Public".
Paul
O'Reilly <fatbaldnproud@opalityone.net>
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5.
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Volume 2 is for you. Your thoughts, reflections,
and insights on the next Sundays readings can influence the
preaching you hear. Send them to
preacherexchange@att.net. Deadline is
Wednesday Noon. Include your Name, and Email Address.
-- Fr. John Boll, OP
