Father Riley's homily from May 5, 2019 and CEC Breaking News

CEC Breaking News:
…   Father Riley will lead us in Holy Eucharist May 12 and 26. NOTE: May 12, Father Riley will be with us. May 19 we will have Morning Prayer. Your BlogSpot scribe got the dates wrong in last update.

…   Capital Campaign fund raising is going well and work is progressing well also.  Repairs to our lawn will take place after construction is completed. Thank you all for supporting this critical work.

… Latest update of Capital Campaign donations:

$ 42,185.00	1st Mailing
$ 21.20	Donation Box
$ 5,000.00	From Diocese
$ 23,000.00	Early Donations
$ 70,205.00	Balance To Date (5/5/19)

EASTER III - C - 19                                        JOHN 21. 1- 19

Today’s gospel reading from Saint John contains the third resurrection appearance of Jesus. There is quite a contrast between today’s appearance and the first two we heard in last week’s gospel.

First, we do not know how much time has elapsed between the second appearance to Thomas, which occurred eight days after Easter and today’s. The scene is different. No upper room with closed doors but outdoors in the open. Not in Jerusalem but in Galilee on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias. Not in the evening but at the dawn of a new day.

And not all of the disciples are there, only seven are present. I have always wondered where the others might be. Peter has decided to go fishing and these six go with him. It would seem that after their having received the gift of the Holy Spirit on the evening of Easter Day, and the charge from Jesus to continue his ministry of reconciliation, Peter has decided instead to go back to the old life he knew before he and the others were called to follow Christ.

The story of their having fished all-night and caught nothing is reminiscent of Saint Luke’s story of the unexpected catch (LK 5. 1-11). Like Luke’s account, Jesus having heard they have caught nothing, instructs them to cast the net on the right side. “So they cast it, and now they were unable to haul it in because there were so many fish.”

Up to this point Jesus is not recognized. With the catch in hand, one of the disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, exclaimed, “It is the Lord.” Peter stripped for work immediately put his clothes on and jumps into the water and makes his way ashore leaving the others behind to tend to the catch and beach the boat.

Interestingly Jesus has already made a charcoal fire and has breakfast, fish and bread, ready for the disciples to eat. “Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ’Who are you?’ because they knew it was the lord.” Jesus feeds them. They eat in silence.

As Jesus made his second appearance for the benefit of Thomas, he now makes it for the benefit of Peter. Taking Peter aside after they had eaten, Jesus points the others and asks him, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

Three times Jesus asks Peter the same question. Three times Peter says “yes.” Each time Peter says “yes” Jesus gives him a charge. As Christ has feed them so now Peter is to feed those who choose to follow Jesus, both lambs and sheep. Peter’s thrice denial of Christ is reversed by his triple profession of his love of Christ.

In essence, he is restored to his role as shepherd of the flock whose task it is to teach and feed. Peter is given a second chance. His life with Jesus begins over again. Peter’s “yes” makes the restoration of the relationship complete.  Peter now makes no bold claims, no rash promises.

His faith is no longer in himself. It is in Jesus. “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” And so, a chastened Peter rests his case on Jesus’ knowledge of what is in his heart.

In our reading from Acts, we hear the story of Paul’s encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. Paul is the chief persecutor of the Church rounding up men, women, and children who are followers of Jesus and bringing them before the Sanhedrin to be tried. His reputation has exceeded him wherever he goes.

However, his mission is interrupted in dramatic fashion. A bright light appears literally blinding him and a voice is heard asking why he is persecuting me. The me is Jesus and Christ has a mission for Paul proving that God can and does use anyone to accomplish his purpose, even one who was intent on destroying the church.

Paul is restored to health, baptized, and given his task of becoming the apostle to the Gentiles; a task that would cost him much suffering and pain, and like Peter, results in his death at the hands of those who opposed his proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God.

We read and hear these stories week after week as we come to this sacred space to worship the living God. Most of us have heard them often without ever seeing ourselves as part of the story. But in order to realize the true meaning of what we hear and read week after week we must own it. It is our story. And the best way to own it is to see ourselves in each scene.

I have always said that of all the disciples Peter is the one I can identify with. Perhaps many of you can as well. In many ways, he is just like us. He is so ordinary. So simple. And so complex. At one point, he is willing to die with Jesus. At another, he denies him. Finally, he professes his love for Jesus and in doing so is restored to relationship with the Son of God.

Regardless of his human frailties deep down, there was a true love of God and Jesus knew it from the beginning. Like Peter, we have all let him down enough times. He wants to find that love within each of us, to give us a chance to express it, to heal the hurts and failures of the past, and to give us new work to do. Like Peter, we rest our case on Christ’ knowledge of what is in our hearts.

These are not things for us to do to earn forgiveness. Nothing can ever do that. It is grace from start to finish. They are things to do out of the joy and relief that we are already forgiven. Things we are given to do precisely as the sign that we are forgiven. Things that will be costly, because Jesus’ own work was costly.

Things that will mean following Jesus into suffering, perhaps in death. We don’t always think about that. Christians were killed on this most recent Easter Sunday simply because they were worshipping Jesus. In that, the world is not that much different from in the time of Jesus, Peter, and Paul.

But the world is different because of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  Jesus has taken the steep road to the cross, and has proved that death is defeated by life. By his death, he has opened to us the way to eternal life.

Peter went from strength to strength. He was still muddled from time to time, as Acts indicates. Redeemed, restored, and forgiven, his love of Christ shinned through all that he said and did. His faith and belief in Christ’s love for him sustained him until the end. So it is for us. His story is our story.

And Christ’ call to him is Christ’s call to each of us, “Follow me.” AMEN+