3rd Sunday of Easter 22

1 MAY 2022: 3RD EASTER SUNDAY: ACTS 5. 27-32, 40-41; Rev 5. 11-14; JOHN 21. 1-19

Indicative: The life of many is empty and meaningless. It is because they do not allow the Lord to step into their lives and take control of it

1. In the gospel, we find initially the futile attempt of fishing by the apostles. They try whole night but catch nothing. All their experience and expertise go waste. Consequently they give up their effort.

2. This episode and experience typically indicates the situation of many. There are those who toil and toil but fail again and again. And there are also those who work hard and gain success. But this is all superficial. They may earn so much money, possessions, positions, social status. But they lack the essential ingredient and that is, true happiness and interior peace.

3. But why? Today's Word of God offers us the perfect answer. It is because there is no obedience to God; there is no priority to God's will; there is no fear of God and no desire to please Him, there is no deep love for Him and the loyalty to follow him. There is no commitment to do his mission of feeding his sheep.

4. As long as the apostles depended only on their human competence and resources, they failed. Not even a single fish they could catch. They were sad and disappointed. They gave up their effort.

5. But as soon as the Lord enters on the scene and takes control of the situation, things totally change. There is success, abundance and happiness. No more failure, scarcity or sadness.

6. The life and mission of the apostles is a great example and testimony to this change. Not much educated, not much well- placed in the society, timid and subservient - this was what they were before the Lord entered their lives and very especially before they encountered the risen Lord and were touched and transformed by him.

7. Being filled by the power of the Risen Lord and enlightened by the Spirit, they become bold, persevering and totally committed preachers and witness. They are raised from being mere fishermen  to fishers of souls. They defy and disobey the strict orders of the authorities not to preach anymore about Jesus. They declare boldly, "We must obey God and not men".

8. In the light of the dialogue between Jesus and Peter, and in conformity to his command, they loved the Lord, followed him, and did his mission of feeding his lambs. They not only accepted and bore every suffering and persecution in the name of Jesus.  Much more, they considered it an honour and privilege to suffer something for his sake. They did not lament or grieve but rejoiced exceedingly.

IMPERATIVE: Today, the same Lord is asking each one of us personally by name, "Do you love me?". If we really love him, he asks us to follow him and to feed his sheep. If we love him, then we need to bear witness to him like the apostles.