The Word of God
preached by Fr. Nelson Medina, O.P.
All Rights Reserved.

Cycle C,
3rd Sunday of Easter

Readings:

Acts 5: 27 - 32, 40 - 41

27

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them,

28

saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

29

But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

30

The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.

31

God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

32

And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

40

So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

41

Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

Psalms 30: 2, 4 - 6

2

O LORD my God, I cried to thee for help, and thou hast healed me.

4

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.

5

For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

6

As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved."

Revelation 5: 11 - 14

11

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

12

saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"

13

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!"

14

And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.

John 21: 1 - 19

1

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tibe'ri-as; and he revealed himself in this way.

2

Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan'a-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zeb'edee, and two others of his disciples were together.

3

Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing.

4

Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

5

Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No."

6

He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish.

7

That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea.

8

But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.

9

When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread.

10

Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught."

11

So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.

12

Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.

13

Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.

14

This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."

16

A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."

17

He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.

18

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go."

19

(This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me."

A homily:

1. This time of Easter is a prolonged contemplation of Christ’s glory and Christ’s victory. He is risen, and, as he said, once lifted up he gathers everyone and everything to himself. The rising of Christ is the rising of the people who trust in him and his victory holds together the universe and brings it up, as a solemn offering, to the heavenly altar.

2. This Easter is a most timely occasion for uniting our voices on Earth with the choirs in heaven. During the Easter we perceive in a new manner that there is but one Church, who is the Body of the Christ, the total Christ as pleased Augustine to call him. That is the grand vision we heard in the second reading of today: “And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might for ever and ever!”

3. And so, as we exercised during the Lent in fasting and repenting, now we are invited to exercise in praising and thanksgiving, for it is true that our heart must learn how to rejoice in the good, not less than it must be trained in rejecting the evil.

4. The apostles indeed had learned so well this lesson, that they were able to rejoice “that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name,” as we heard in the first reading today. Strengthened by the gift of the Spirit, they were capable not only to bear witness but to suffer and even rejoice in the suffering, as a way to improving to the utmost their witness itself.

5. It all depends on the quality of love, as we see in the gospel today. Three times Peter disowned Jesus, when the big trial of the passion came; three times Jesus asked Peter whether or not he loved him, when the entire storm was over. The testimony of love was meant for healing the wounds of fear, pride and vanity.

6. And that is the second important aim of the Easter season: looking for true love, whose name is gift of the Spirit. The Easter time is like an enormous arch that goes from the Lord’s Resurrection to Pentecost. These limits are not for nothing: both the resurrection and the pouring forth of the Spirit are the greatest expressions of that sort of love that overcomes the power of sin and death.

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