You are Peter

                   21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

                  A cycle

 

      

We do not have to be concerned with the circumstances in the time of the Prophet Isaiah that caused one man to lose his position of authority, and be replaced by another man. We see plenty of it in our own time. During the past few years a number of seemingly invincible dictators have fallen from power, and others seem soon to follow. 

 

In our own country politicians rise and fall with regularity. In the business world how many CEOs have been forced to step down in the past years? A good percentage of baseball managers and football coaches lose their jobs each year. Actually, you don’t have to be a big shot to have this experience. 

 

In today’s reading from the Prophet Isaiah we are told that the master of the King’s palace will be stripped of his authority. His keys, the symbol of his authority, will be taken from him and given to another. This reading introduces today’s gospel account of the giving of the keys of authority to Peter. In Matthew’s account this incident occurs after Jesus had exhibited his power over and over again in various ways. In the previous chapter Matthew had told of the feeding of the multitude on two separate occasions, the walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee during a storm, and just last week the healing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman.

 

After all these signs the Pharisees and the Sadducees still continued to doubt and test Jesus. He criticizes their blindness and warns his disciples not to follow their teaching. Like the master of the palace in Isaiah’s time, their authority will be taken from them. At this point, Jesus asks his disciples for feedback. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They relate what they have heard but then he asks for their own opinion. “But who do you say that I am?” 

 

Simon Peter answers, “you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” After this affirmation, Jesus changes Simon Peter’s name, and gives him the keys that will symbolize his authority

 

And so I say to you, you are Peter,

And upon this rock I will build my church,

And the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

 

The changing of the name is as significant as the giving of the keys. Scholars tell us that the giving of a new name means that Jesus has given a new role to Peter. Peter may well have thought himself not ready for such great responsibility. During the storm on the Sea of Galilee he had doubted and only the Lord’s intervention had rescued him. In next week’s gospel we will see that Peter’s objections to Jesus’ announcement of his ultimate mission, led our Lord to rebuke him severely. Finally, Peter would even deny Jesus three times during the Passion.

 

We know that Peter, and the Apostles, and their successors have been given special authority. But I like to think that we all, despite our imperfections and failings, have been given the keys to our own little palaces. The message of the gospels is clear. We are all called to be good and faithful stewards. There is no doubt that we will think ourselves unworthy of the task, and that we will often stumble and falter. How many times will we look back and wonder if we could have done things better? 

 

I believe that today’s second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans deals with this very point. He writes,

 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!

How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!

 

How many times have we heard the expression that God works in mysterious ways? St. Paul himself never tired of referring to his own weakness, and noted that God uses the weak of the to accomplish His objectives. Despite his weakness and failings, Jesus said to Peter,

 

Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;

And whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

 

This is a responsibility that all of us are called to share when it comes to our own families, friends, and neighbors.

 

###

Reading 1. Isaiah 22: 19-23

Reading II. Romans 11: 33-36

Gospel. Matthew 16: 13-20 (you are Peter) 

3rd Sunday of Easter

3rd Sunday of Easter
C cycle

Reading 1. Acts 5: 27b-32
Reading II. Revelation 5: 11-14
Gospel. John 21: 1-19 (Feed my sheep).


Today's three readings all deal with manifestations of the Risen Christ although in different ways. In the Acts of the Apostles we have an historical account of the first efforts of the Apostles to bring the message of Jesus to the world. In today's gospel we have another appearance of the Risen Lord to the Apostles--this time in Galilee on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias. Finally, the second reading from the Book of Revelation presents us with a prophetic vision of the Risen Christ at the Heavenly Altar.

In the first reading we find that the Apostles have been brought before the Jewish leaders for violating their command to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. Peter and the other Apostles explain why they cannot stop teaching, why they must show by their words and deeds the Risen Lord to the world. "We must obey God rather than men." Once again they bear witness to the Resurrection and its meaning.

The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.

Today's reading skips over the immediate reaction of the members of the Sanhedrin to these shocking words. They are furious and want to slay the apostles but a very wise man, Gamaliel, urges them to proceed with more caution. He tells the assembly that if the apostles are not from God, their movement will soon falter and die. However, if they are of God nothing that men can do will stop them. In fact, opposing them might mean opposing God himself. So time or providence will tell. The leaders follow Gamaliel's advice and let the Apostles off with only a flogging and a warning "to stop teaching in the name of Jesus."

But how could they after they had experienced the Risen Lord and received His Spirit? Today's gospel gives us St. John's account of the third appearance of Jesus to the Apostles at the shore of Lake Tiberias in Galilee. Remember that when our Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene on the first Easter Sunday, He told her to tell the Apostles to return to Galilee. Well, here they are back where they started from. He had called them from their fishing boats at the start of His career, and now they return to them.

After a night of fruitless effort a stranger appears on the shore at dawn and asks them if they've had any luck. When they answer, "No," He tells them to cast their nets in again and the result is incredible--the famous "miraculous draught of fish." They then realize that the stranger is the Lord and Peter, impetuous as always, jumps into the water and swims to shore. The others finally bring the heavily laden boat in and they all sit down to breakfast with Jesus. Apparently He had made a fire and was cooking. For breakfast He gave them bread and fish in the same way that He had fed the multitude.

Readers of this part of John's gospel have seen all sorts of sacred symbolism. However, I would like to focus on the conversation between Jesus and Peter after the meal was over. Peter gets his chance to atone for denying the Lord three times. Three times our Lord asks "do you love Me?" Each time when Peter answers "Yes, Lord," Jesus diverts or redirects his love. "Feed my lambs." "Tend my sheep." "Feed my sheep." Jesus had called Himself "the Good Shepherd" and now He turns over the shepherd's staff to Peter.

He is also turning something over to us. There is an old story about a man who loved mankind in general but hated every man he ever met. Sadly, there are many people whose so-called love for Jesus gets in the way of their love for their neighbor. Jesus is telling Peter and us that it can't work that way. Christians cannot sacrifice their children to the gods. Christians cannot let their neighbor go hungry or homeless. In the early days of the Church the pagans marveled not just at miraculous healings but at the behavior of ordinary Christians.

For example, when plagues would strike Roman cities, the citizens would flee leaving behind the sick and the dying to fend for themselves. Often, only the Christians would stay behind to care not only for their own brethren but for the pagans as well. Sometimes basic nursing care was all that it took to restore the sick to health. This love for neighbor marked the Christians out as different and was a major factor in the growth of the early Church.

In the weeks after Easter the second reading is taken from the "Book of Revelation." There we hear of St. John's vision of the Risen Christ, the Lamb of God, sitting at a throne or "heavenly altar" and receiving praise and thanksgiving from "every creature in heaven and on earth." It is the scene of the last days when the sheep will be separated from the goats. It is the time when Jesus will ask us, "Do you love me?"

St. Matthew depicts this same scene in his gospel. There, in chapter 25 our Lord, the king, is welcoming the just into the kingdom and praising them for their faithful service to Him. But they fail to understand:

Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and feed thee; or thirsty, and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger, and take thee in; or naked, and clothe thee?
Or when did we see thee sick, or in prison, and come to thee?

Amen I say to you, as long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethern, you did it for Me.





















,

3rd Sunday of Easter

3rd Sunday of Easter
C cycle

Reading 1. Acts 5: 27b-32
Reading II. Revelation 5: 11-14
Gospel. John 21: 1-19 (Feed my sheep).


Today's three readings all deal with manifestations of the Risen Christ although in different ways. In the Acts of the Apostles we have an historical account of the first efforts of the Apostles to bring the message of Jesus to the world. In today's gospel we have another appearance of the Risen Lord to the Apostles--this time in Galilee on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias. Finally, the second reading from the Book of Revelation presents us with a prophetic vision of the Risen Christ at the Heavenly Altar.

In the first reading we find that the Apostles have been brought before the Jewish leaders for violating their command to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. Peter and the other Apostles explain why they cannot stop teaching, why they must show by their words and deeds the Risen Lord to the world. "We must obey God rather than men." Once again they bear witness to the Resurrection and its meaning.

The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.

Today's reading skips over the immediate reaction of the members of the Sanhedrin to these shocking words. They are furious and want to slay the apostles but a very wise man, Gamaliel, urges them to proceed with more caution. He tells the assembly that if the apostles are not from God, their movement will soon falter and die. However, if they are of God nothing that men can do will stop them. In fact, opposing them might mean opposing God himself. So time or providence will tell. The leaders follow Gamaliel's advice and let the Apostles off with only a flogging and a warning "to stop teaching in the name of Jesus."

But how could they after they had experienced the Risen Lord and received His Spirit? Today's gospel gives us St. John's account of the third appearance of Jesus to the Apostles at the shore of Lake Tiberias in Galilee. Remember that when our Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene on the first Easter Sunday, He told her to tell the Apostles to return to Galilee. Well, here they are back where they started from. He had called them from their fishing boats at the start of His career, and now they return to them.

After a night of fruitless effort a stranger appears on the shore at dawn and asks them if they've had any luck. When they answer, "No," He tells them to cast their nets in again and the result is incredible--the famous "miraculous draught of fish." They then realize that the stranger is the Lord and Peter, impetuous as always, jumps into the water and swims to shore. The others finally bring the heavily laden boat in and they all sit down to breakfast with Jesus. Apparently He had made a fire and was cooking. For breakfast He gave them bread and fish in the same way that He had fed the multitude.

Readers of this part of John's gospel have seen all sorts of sacred symbolism. However, I would like to focus on the conversation between Jesus and Peter after the meal was over. Peter gets his chance to atone for denying the Lord three times. Three times our Lord asks "do you love Me?" Each time when Peter answers "Yes, Lord," Jesus diverts or redirects his love. "Feed my lambs." "Tend my sheep." "Feed my sheep." Jesus had called Himself "the Good Shepherd" and now He turns over the shepherd's staff to Peter.

He is also turning something over to us. There is an old story about a man who loved mankind in general but hated every man he ever met. Sadly, there are many people whose so-called love for Jesus gets in the way of their love for their neighbor. Jesus is telling Peter and us that it can't work that way. Christians cannot sacrifice their children to the gods. Christians cannot let their neighbor go hungry or homeless. In the early days of the Church the pagans marveled not just at miraculous healings but at the behavior of ordinary Christians.

For example, when plagues would strike Roman cities, the citizens would flee leaving behind the sick and the dying to fend for themselves. Often, only the Christians would stay behind to care not only for their own brethren but for the pagans as well. Sometimes basic nursing care was all that it took to restore the sick to health. This love for neighbor marked the Christians out as different and was a major factor in the growth of the early Church.

In the weeks after Easter the second reading is taken from the "Book of Revelation." There we hear of St. John's vision of the Risen Christ, the Lamb of God, sitting at a throne or "heavenly altar" and receiving praise and thanksgiving from "every creature in heaven and on earth." It is the scene of the last days when the sheep will be separated from the goats. It is the time when Jesus will ask us, "Do you love me?"

St. Matthew depicts this same scene in his gospel. There, in chapter 25 our Lord, the king, is welcoming the just into the kingdom and praising them for their faithful service to Him. But they fail to understand:

Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and feed thee; or thirsty, and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger, and take thee in; or naked, and clothe thee?
Or when did we see thee sick, or in prison, and come to thee?

Amen I say to you, as long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethern, you did it for Me.





















,