First reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41
When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men. 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. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13 R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
R. Alleluia.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit. R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
R. Alleluia.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will. At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing. R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
R. Alleluia.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me; O LORD, be my helper. You changed my mourning into dancing; O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks. . I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
R. Alleluia.
Second reading from the Book of Revelation Rev 5:11-14
I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.” The four living creatures answered, “Amen, “ and the elders fell down and worshiped.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY A reading from the Gospel according to John Jn 21:1-19
At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” Jesus said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a 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. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER We should not “feed with our head held high, as a great dictator, no: feed with humility, with love, just as Jesus did”. And “this is the mission that Jesus gives to Peter: yes, with his sins, with his mistakes”, such that “right after this dialogue, Peter slips, makes a mistake: he is tempted by curiosity and he says to the Lord: ‘But this other disciple, where will he go, what will he do?’”. It is “with love, amid his mistakes, his sins, but with love”. Because “these sheep are not your sheep, they are my sheep”, says the Lord”. Thus, “love: if you are my friend, you must be their friend”. (Santa Marta, 2 June 2017)
FAUSTI - "Do you love me?" These are the words of Jesus, dead and risen, to Peter. Everyone hears them addressed to himself, as an aim or, better, as the beginning of the whole Gospel. Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him " more " than others in order to reduce his claim to be better than the others. But not only: love has as its spring the "more". Love is always an " more " - if it does not grow, it decreases - in humility and dedication. It is our participation to the " magis , more " of the majesty of God Love, in the image of Which we are created. In fact, our heart is motivated by the insatiable desire for an endless one more. What ends is finished, but not perfect. This "more", the divine mark of man, is his tormented destiny, of happiness or damnation: it marks the progress of his history when invested in love, and the regression when invested in selfishness. Peter's affirmative response is not based on his assurance of giving his life for Jesus. It is based on what the Lord knows: He had predicted his defection, but also that he would follow Him later. For the third time, the confidence was confirmed to him. This last response of Jesus sums the other two: He says "feed" as the first time and "my sheep" as the second. Peter, with and as the beautiful Shepherd, feeds His sheep in love, so that there may be only one free flock, one Shepherd. The word " feed" is in connection with the pasture, the food to be procured to the flock. The true food is the Flesh of the One who gave His Life for His brethren. Word and Bread are the food to be guaranteed: that Word that has become Bread and that Bread that the Word itself gives. Peter must lead the flock to that pasture where the Lord is Shepherd and Pasture. Jesus always speaks of "my" lambs and "my" sheep. Lambs and sheep are always and only of the Son and the Father, not of Peter. The flock is of God Himself, who communicates to all and to each one the Glory. Peter's service is to set a example and preserve unity in diversity. In fact, being "one" in love is the witness of Glory to the world. He has the initiative of the mission and he keeps the union, so that the being "one" of the saved is not lacerated. In the heard episode there is like the successive repeating of that wave that Jesus set in motion: now it is reflected in the disciples and, through them, it extends to infinity, enlivening the whole world with His Spirit .Now the disciples are at work. They are no longer in the evening and indoors in Jerusalem, but in the morning and outdoors on the Lake of Tiberias, the place of daily life, of them and of Jesus. Time and place are significant: the dawn is the limit between night and day, the coast is the limit between sea and land. Sunrise and the coast are the time and the typical place of man, placed between two opposite realities, called to cross the threshold from darkness to light, from death to life. The disciples have come out of where the Lord has washed their feet and they now face the world with Him and like Him. After the gift of Jesus Who loved them to the point of giving Himself and He returned, showing Himself as winner of death and Prince of life, the day of the Lord begins: it is every day, to be lived now in the love of the Father and of our brothers and sisters. For this reason these seven go to "fish men for life". As Jesus has done, they too take the brothers out of the water where they drown, to communicate to them the spring of living water. As was promised, the Glory that the Father gave to the Son, the Son gave to the disciples, and now, even for Peter, leaving the world will no longer be a death, but a glorification of God, manifesting His Love in Himself.
PAPA FRANCIS - REGINA COELI - St. Peter's Square -Sunday, April 10, 2016 Today's Gospel recounts the third appearance of the RISEN JESUS to the DISCIPLES on the shore of the Lake of Galilee, with the description of the miraculous catch of fish (cf. Jn 21:1-19). The story is set in the context of the daily life of the DISCIPLES, who had returned to their land and their work as fishermen after the upsetting days of the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. It was difficult for them to understand what had happened. But, while everything seemed to be over, it is JESUS again who "seeks" his DISCIPLES. It is He who goes to look for them. This time he meets them by the lake, where they have spent the night in the boats without catching anything. The empty nets appear, in a certain sense, as the balance of their experience with JESUS: they had known him, they had left everything to follow him, full of hope... and now? Yes, they had seen him RESURRECTED, but then they thought: "He's gone and left us... It was like a dream...". But behold, at dawn JESUS appears on the shore of the lake; however, they do not recognize him (cf. v. 4). To those fishermen, tired and disappointed, the Lord says: "Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find" (v. 6). The DISCIPLES trusted JESUS and the result was an incredibly abundant catch. At this point John turns to PETER and says, "It is the Lord!" (v. 7). And immediately PETER dives into the water and swims toward the shore, toward JESUS. In that exclamation, "It is the Lord!", there is all the enthusiasm of Easter faith, full of joy and wonder, which contrasts sharply with the bewilderment, discouragement and sense of impotence that had accumulated in the souls of the DISCIPLES. The presence of JESUS RESURRECTED transforms everything: the darkness is overcome by light, useless work becomes fruitful and promising again, the sense of weariness and abandonment gives way to a new impetus and the certainty that He is with us. Since then, these same feelings animate the CHURCH, the Community of the RESURRECTED. All of us are the community of the RESURRECTED! If at a superficial glance it may sometimes seem that the darkness of evil and the fatigue of daily life have the upper hand, the CHURCH knows with certainty that the light of Easter now shines everlastingly on those who follow the Lord JESUS. The great ANNOUNCEMENT of the Resurrection instills in the hearts of BELIEVERS an intimate joy and an invincible hope. CHRIST is truly RISEN! Today too, the CHURCH continues to make this festive ANNOUNCEMENT resound: joy and hope continue to flow in hearts, faces, gestures and words. All of us Christians are called to communicate this message of resurrection to all we meet, especially to those who suffer, those who are alone, those in precarious conditions, the sick, the refugees, the marginalized. To all let us send a ray of the light of the RESURRECTED CHRIST, a sign of his merciful power. May he, the Lord, renew in us too the Easter faith. May he make us ever more aware of our mission in the service of the Gospel and of our brothers and sisters; may he fill us with his Holy Spirit so that, sustained by Mary's intercession, with the whole CHURCH we may proclaim the greatness of his love and the richness of his mercy.
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI 15 April 2010 ... The word, the phrase that I would like to propose for this communal meditation is this great affirmation by St Peter: "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5: 29). St Peter stands before the supreme religious institution, which one should normally obey, but God is above this institution and God has given him another "command": he must obey God. Obedience to God is freedom; obedience to God gives him the liberty to oppose the institution.
And here exegetes draw our attention to the fact that St Peter's response to the Sanhedrim is almost word for word identical to Socrates' response to the sentence at the tribunal in Athens. The tribunal offers him freedom, liberation; on the condition, however, that he does not continue to seek God. But for him searching for God, the quest for God, is a superior mandate, which comes from God himself. And a freedom bought at the price of renouncing the journey towards God would no longer be freedom. Therefore he must not obey these judges he must not purchase his life at the cost of losing himself but must obey God. Obedience to God has priority.
Here it is important to stress that it is a question of obedience and that it is obedience itself that constitutes freedom. The modern age has spoken of the liberation of man, of his full autonomy, hence also of the liberation from obedience to God. Obedience must no longer exist, man is free, he is autonomous: that is all. However, this autonomy is a lie: it is an ontological falsehood because man does not exist on his own and for himself, and it is also a political and practical falsehood because collaboration, the sharing of freedom is necessary. And if God does not exist, if God is not a reference accessible to man, the consensus of the majority alone remains the supreme reference. Consequently, the consensus of the majority becomes the last word which we must obey. And this consensus we know it from the history of the past century can also be a "consensus in evil".
Thus we see that the so-called autonomy does not truly set man free. Obedience to God is a freedom because it is the truth, it is the reference that comes before all the other human needs. In the history of humanity these words of Peter and of Socrates are the true beacon of the liberation of man, who can see God and, in God's name, can and must obey, not so much human beings, but God, thus freeing himself from the positivism of human obedience. Dictatorships have always been against this obedience to God. The Nazi, and likewise the Marxist dictatorship, could not accept a God who is above ideological power. The freedom of the martyrs, who recognize God precisely in obedience to divine power, is always the act of liberation through which Christ's freedom reaches us.
Today, thanks be to God, we do not live under dictatorships, yet subtle forms of dictatorship exist: a conformism, which becomes obligatory, thinking as everyone thinks, behaving as everyone behaves, and the suble assaults on the Church or even those that are less subtle show that this conformism can really be a true dictatorship. This is what applies to us: we must obey God rather than men. However this implies that we truly know God and that we truly wish to obey him. God is not a pretext for one's personal will, but is really the One who calls and invites us, if necessary, even to martyrdom. Therefore, in measuring up to this word that ushers in a new history of freedom in the world, let us pray above all to know God, to know God humbly and truly, and in knowing God, to learn true obedience which is the root of human freedom.
HOMILY OF S.G. PAUL II - 26/4/1998 "It is the Lord!" (Jn 21:7). This exclamation of the Apostle John highlights the intense emotion felt by the DISCIPLES when they recognized the Risen Jesus, who appeared to them for the third time on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias. John acts as spokesman for the feelings of Peter and the other apostles in the presence of the Risen Lord. After a long night of solitude and fatigue, the dawn arrives and his apparition radically changes everything: the darkness is overcome by light, fruitless work becomes easy and abundant fishing, the sense of tiredness and loneliness is transformed into joy and peace. Since then, these same feelings have animated the CHURCH. If at a superficial look it may sometimes seem that the darkness of evil and the fatigue of daily life have the upper hand, the CHURCH knows with certainty that the light of Easter now shines everlastingly on those who follow CHRIST. The great ANNOUNCEMENT of the Resurrection instills in the hearts of BELIEVERS an inner joy and a renewed hope. 2. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles, which the Liturgy makes us reread during this Easter season, describes the missionary vitality, full of joy, that animated the early Christian community, despite difficulties and obstacles of every kind. This same vitality has been prolonged over the centuries thanks to the action of the HOLY SPIRIT and the docile and generous cooperation of the BELIEVERS. Today we read in the first reading: "We and the HOLY SPIRIT are WITNESSES of these facts" (Acts 5:32). The HOLY SPIRIT enlivens the APOSTOLIC commitment of the DISCIPLES of CHRIST, sustaining them in their trials, enlightening them in their choices, assuring effectiveness to their ANNOUNCEMENT of the Paschal Mystery. 3. CHRIST is truly RISEN! Alleluia! Today, too, the CHURCH continues to propose the same festive ANNOUNCEMENT. "CHRIST is truly RISEN!", these words are a cry of joy and an invitation to hope. If CHRIST is RISEN, Saint Paul observes, our faith is not in vain. If with CHRIST we died, with Him we are risen: we must now live as risen. ...On this third Sunday of Easter, let us make our own the words of the heavenly liturgy quoted in Revelation. As we contemplate the glory of the RESURRECTED One, let us ask the Lord that your community may be granted a more serene and hopeful future. May the Lord make each of you ever more aware of your mission in the service of the Gospel. Dear brothers and sisters, may the RISEN CHRIST give you the courage of love; may he make you his WITNESSES! May He fill you with His Spirit so that, with the whole CHURCH, sustained by Mary's intercession, you may proclaim the canticle of glory of the redeemed: "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honour, glory and power" (Rev 5:13). Amen!
HOMILY OF S.G. PAUL II - 26/4/1998 "It is the Lord!" (Jn 21:7). This exclamation of the Apostle John highlights the intense emotion felt by the DISCIPLES when they recognized the Risen Jesus, who appeared to them for the third time on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias. John acts as spokesman for the feelings of Peter and the other apostles in the presence of the Risen Lord. After a long night of solitude and fatigue, the dawn arrives and his apparition radically changes everything: the darkness is overcome by light, fruitless work becomes easy and abundant fishing, the sense of tiredness and loneliness is transformed into joy and peace. Since then, these same feelings have animated the CHURCH. If at a superficial look it may sometimes seem that the darkness of evil and the fatigue of daily life have the upper hand, the CHURCH knows with certainty that the light of Easter now shines everlastingly on those who follow CHRIST. The great ANNOUNCEMENT of the Resurrection instills in the hearts of BELIEVERS an inner joy and a renewed hope. 2. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles, which the Liturgy makes us reread during this Easter season, describes the missionary vitality, full of joy, that animated the early Christian community, despite difficulties and obstacles of every kind. This same vitality has been prolonged over the centuries thanks to the action of the HOLY SPIRIT and the docile and generous cooperation of the BELIEVERS. Today we read in the first reading: "We and the HOLY SPIRIT are WITNESSES of these facts" (Acts 5:32). The HOLY SPIRIT enlivens the APOSTOLIC commitment of the DISCIPLES of CHRIST, sustaining them in their trials, enlightening them in their choices, assuring effectiveness to their ANNOUNCEMENT of the Paschal Mystery. 3. CHRIST is truly RISEN! Alleluia! Today, too, the CHURCH continues to propose the same festive ANNOUNCEMENT. "CHRIST is truly RISEN!", these words are a cry of joy and an invitation to hope. If CHRIST is RISEN, Saint Paul observes, our faith is not in vain. If with CHRIST we died, with Him we are risen: we must now live as risen. ...On this third Sunday of Easter, let us make our own the words of the heavenly liturgy quoted in Revelation. As we contemplate the glory of the RESURRECTED One, let us ask the Lord that your community may be granted a more serene and hopeful future. May the Lord make each of you ever more aware of your mission in the service of the Gospel. Dear brothers and sisters, may the RISEN CHRIST give you the courage of love; may he make you his WITNESSES! May He fill you with His Spirit so that, with the whole CHURCH, sustained by Mary's intercession, you may proclaim the canticle of glory of the redeemed: "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honour, glory and power" (Rev 5:13). Amen!
First reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
RispondiEliminaActs 5:27-32, 40b-41
When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders, did we not,
to stop teaching in that name?
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
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.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles
to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13
R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
R. Alleluia.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
R. Alleluia.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
R. Alleluia.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
R. Alleluia.
Second reading from the Book of Revelation
Rev 5:11-14
I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels
who surrounded the throne
and the living creatures and the elders.
They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice:
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and blessing.”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and in the sea,
everything in the universe, cry out:
“To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor, glory and might,
forever and ever.”
The four living creatures answered, “Amen, “
and the elders fell down and worshiped.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
RispondiEliminaA reading from the Gospel according to John
Jn 21:1-19
At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jesus said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a 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.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
We should not “feed with our head held high, as a great dictator, no: feed with humility, with love, just as Jesus did”. And “this is the mission that Jesus gives to Peter: yes, with his sins, with his mistakes”, such that “right after this dialogue, Peter slips, makes a mistake: he is tempted by curiosity and he says to the Lord: ‘But this other disciple, where will he go, what will he do?’”. It is “with love, amid his mistakes, his sins, but with love”. Because “these sheep are not your sheep, they are my sheep”, says the Lord”. Thus, “love: if you are my friend, you must be their friend”. (Santa Marta, 2 June 2017)
FAUSTI -
RispondiElimina"Do you love me?" These are the words of Jesus, dead and risen, to Peter.
Everyone hears them addressed to himself, as an aim or, better, as the beginning of the whole Gospel.
Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him " more " than others in order to reduce his claim to be better than the others.
But not only: love has as its spring the "more".
Love is always an " more " - if it does not grow, it decreases - in humility and dedication.
It is our participation to the " magis , more " of the majesty of God Love, in the image of Which we are created.
In fact, our heart is motivated by the insatiable desire for an endless one more.
What ends is finished, but not perfect.
This "more", the divine mark of man, is his tormented destiny, of happiness or damnation: it marks the progress of his history when invested in love, and the regression when invested in selfishness.
Peter's affirmative response is not based on his assurance of giving his life for Jesus.
It is based on what the Lord knows: He had predicted his defection, but also that he would follow Him later.
For the third time, the confidence was confirmed to him.
This last response of Jesus sums the other two: He says "feed" as the first time and "my sheep" as the second. Peter, with and as the beautiful Shepherd, feeds His sheep in love, so that there may be only one free flock, one Shepherd. The word " feed" is in connection with the pasture, the food to be procured to the flock.
The true food is the Flesh of the One who gave His Life for His brethren.
Word and Bread are the food to be guaranteed: that Word that has become Bread and that Bread that the Word itself gives.
Peter must lead the flock to that pasture where the Lord is Shepherd and Pasture.
Jesus always speaks of "my" lambs and "my" sheep.
Lambs and sheep are always and only of the Son and the Father, not of Peter. The flock is of God Himself, who communicates to all and to each one the Glory. Peter's service is to set a example and preserve unity in diversity. In fact, being "one" in love is the witness of Glory to the world.
He has the initiative of the mission and he keeps the union, so that the being "one" of the saved is not lacerated.
In the heard episode there is like the successive repeating of that wave that Jesus set in motion: now it is reflected in the disciples and, through them, it extends to infinity, enlivening the whole world with His Spirit .Now the disciples are at work. They are no longer in the evening and indoors in Jerusalem, but in the morning and outdoors on the Lake of Tiberias, the place of daily life, of them and of Jesus.
Time and place are significant: the dawn is the limit between night and day, the coast is the limit between sea and land.
Sunrise and the coast are the time and the typical place of man, placed between two opposite realities, called to cross the threshold from darkness to light, from death to life.
The disciples have come out of where the Lord has washed their feet and they now face the world with Him and like Him.
After the gift of Jesus Who loved them to the point of giving Himself and He returned, showing Himself as winner of death and Prince of life, the day of the Lord begins: it is every day, to be lived now in the love of the Father and of our brothers and sisters.
For this reason these seven go to "fish men for life".
As Jesus has done, they too take the brothers out of the water where they drown, to communicate to them the spring of living water.
As was promised, the Glory that the Father gave to the Son, the Son gave to the disciples, and now, even for Peter, leaving the world will no longer be a death, but a glorification of God, manifesting His Love in Himself.
PAPA FRANCIS - REGINA COELI - St. Peter's Square -Sunday, April 10, 2016
RispondiEliminaToday's Gospel recounts the third appearance of the RISEN JESUS to the DISCIPLES on the shore of the Lake of Galilee, with the description of the miraculous catch of fish (cf. Jn 21:1-19). The story is set in the context of the daily life of the DISCIPLES, who had returned to their land and their work as fishermen after the upsetting days of the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. It was difficult for them to understand what had happened. But, while everything seemed to be over, it is JESUS again who "seeks" his DISCIPLES. It is He who goes to look for them. This time he meets them by the lake, where they have spent the night in the boats without catching anything. The empty nets appear, in a certain sense, as the balance of their experience with JESUS: they had known him, they had left everything to follow him, full of hope... and now? Yes, they had seen him RESURRECTED, but then they thought: "He's gone and left us... It was like a dream...".
But behold, at dawn JESUS appears on the shore of the lake; however, they do not recognize him (cf. v. 4). To those fishermen, tired and disappointed, the Lord says: "Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find" (v. 6). The DISCIPLES trusted JESUS and the result was an incredibly abundant catch. At this point John turns to PETER and says, "It is the Lord!" (v. 7). And immediately PETER dives into the water and swims toward the shore, toward JESUS. In that exclamation, "It is the Lord!", there is all the enthusiasm of Easter faith, full of joy and wonder, which contrasts sharply with the bewilderment, discouragement and sense of impotence that had accumulated in the souls of the DISCIPLES. The presence of JESUS RESURRECTED transforms everything: the darkness is overcome by light, useless work becomes fruitful and promising again, the sense of weariness and abandonment gives way to a new impetus and the certainty that He is with us.
Since then, these same feelings animate the CHURCH, the Community of the RESURRECTED. All of us are the community of the RESURRECTED! If at a superficial glance it may sometimes seem that the darkness of evil and the fatigue of daily life have the upper hand, the CHURCH knows with certainty that the light of Easter now shines everlastingly on those who follow the Lord JESUS. The great ANNOUNCEMENT of the Resurrection instills in the hearts of BELIEVERS an intimate joy and an invincible hope. CHRIST is truly RISEN! Today too, the CHURCH continues to make this festive ANNOUNCEMENT resound: joy and hope continue to flow in hearts, faces, gestures and words. All of us Christians are called to communicate this message of resurrection to all we meet, especially to those who suffer, those who are alone, those in precarious conditions, the sick, the refugees, the marginalized. To all let us send a ray of the light of the RESURRECTED CHRIST, a sign of his merciful power.
May he, the Lord, renew in us too the Easter faith. May he make us ever more aware of our mission in the service of the Gospel and of our brothers and sisters; may he fill us with his Holy Spirit so that, sustained by Mary's intercession, with the whole CHURCH we may proclaim the greatness of his love and the richness of his mercy.
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI 15 April 2010
RispondiElimina... The word, the phrase that I would like to propose for this communal meditation is this great affirmation by St Peter: "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5: 29). St Peter stands before the supreme religious institution, which one should normally obey, but God is above this institution and God has given him another "command": he must obey God. Obedience to God is freedom; obedience to God gives him the liberty to oppose the institution.
And here exegetes draw our attention to the fact that St Peter's response to the Sanhedrim is almost word for word identical to Socrates' response to the sentence at the tribunal in Athens. The tribunal offers him freedom, liberation; on the condition, however, that he does not continue to seek God. But for him searching for God, the quest for God, is a superior mandate, which comes from God himself. And a freedom bought at the price of renouncing the journey towards God would no longer be freedom. Therefore he must not obey these judges he must not purchase his life at the cost of losing himself but must obey God. Obedience to God has priority.
Here it is important to stress that it is a question of obedience and that it is obedience itself that constitutes freedom. The modern age has spoken of the liberation of man, of his full autonomy, hence also of the liberation from obedience to God. Obedience must no longer exist, man is free, he is autonomous: that is all. However, this autonomy is a lie: it is an ontological falsehood because man does not exist on his own and for himself, and it is also a political and practical falsehood because collaboration, the sharing of freedom is necessary. And if God does not exist, if God is not a reference accessible to man, the consensus of the majority alone remains the supreme reference. Consequently, the consensus of the majority becomes the last word which we must obey. And this consensus we know it from the history of the past century can also be a "consensus in evil".
Thus we see that the so-called autonomy does not truly set man free. Obedience to God is a freedom because it is the truth, it is the reference that comes before all the other human needs. In the history of humanity these words of Peter and of Socrates are the true beacon of the liberation of man, who can see God and, in God's name, can and must obey, not so much human beings, but God, thus freeing himself from the positivism of human obedience. Dictatorships have always been against this obedience to God. The Nazi, and likewise the Marxist dictatorship, could not accept a God who is above ideological power. The freedom of the martyrs, who recognize God precisely in obedience to divine power, is always the act of liberation through which Christ's freedom reaches us.
Today, thanks be to God, we do not live under dictatorships, yet subtle forms of dictatorship exist: a conformism, which becomes obligatory, thinking as everyone thinks, behaving as everyone behaves, and the suble assaults on the Church or even those that are less subtle show that this conformism can really be a true dictatorship. This is what applies to us: we must obey God rather than men. However this implies that we truly know God and that we truly wish to obey him. God is not a pretext for one's personal will, but is really the One who calls and invites us, if necessary, even to martyrdom. Therefore, in measuring up to this word that ushers in a new history of freedom in the world, let us pray above all to know God, to know God humbly and truly, and in knowing God, to learn true obedience which is the root of human freedom.
HOMILY OF S.G. PAUL II - 26/4/1998
RispondiElimina"It is the Lord!" (Jn 21:7). This exclamation of the Apostle John highlights the intense emotion felt by the DISCIPLES when they recognized the Risen Jesus, who appeared to them for the third time on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias.
John acts as spokesman for the feelings of Peter and the other apostles in the presence of the Risen Lord. After a long night of solitude and fatigue, the dawn arrives and his apparition radically changes everything: the darkness is overcome by light, fruitless work becomes easy and abundant fishing, the sense of tiredness and loneliness is transformed into joy and peace.
Since then, these same feelings have animated the CHURCH. If at a superficial look it may sometimes seem that the darkness of evil and the fatigue of daily life have the upper hand, the CHURCH knows with certainty that the light of Easter now shines everlastingly on those who follow CHRIST. The great ANNOUNCEMENT of the Resurrection instills in the hearts of BELIEVERS an inner joy and a renewed hope.
2. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles, which the Liturgy makes us reread during this Easter season, describes the missionary vitality, full of joy, that animated the early Christian community, despite difficulties and obstacles of every kind. This same vitality has been prolonged over the centuries thanks to the action of the HOLY SPIRIT and the docile and generous cooperation of the BELIEVERS.
Today we read in the first reading: "We and the HOLY SPIRIT are WITNESSES of these facts" (Acts 5:32). The HOLY SPIRIT enlivens the APOSTOLIC commitment of the DISCIPLES of CHRIST, sustaining them in their trials, enlightening them in their choices, assuring effectiveness to their ANNOUNCEMENT of the Paschal Mystery.
3. CHRIST is truly RISEN! Alleluia! Today, too, the CHURCH continues to propose the same festive ANNOUNCEMENT. "CHRIST is truly RISEN!", these words are a cry of joy and an invitation to hope. If CHRIST is RISEN, Saint Paul observes, our faith is not in vain. If with CHRIST we died, with Him we are risen: we must now live as risen.
...On this third Sunday of Easter, let us make our own the words of the heavenly liturgy quoted in Revelation. As we contemplate the glory of the RESURRECTED One, let us ask the Lord that your community may be granted a more serene and hopeful future. May the Lord make each of you ever more aware of your mission in the service of the Gospel.
Dear brothers and sisters, may the RISEN CHRIST give you the courage of love; may he make you his WITNESSES! May He fill you with His Spirit so that, with the whole CHURCH, sustained by Mary's intercession, you may proclaim the canticle of glory of the redeemed: "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honour, glory and power" (Rev 5:13). Amen!
HOMILY OF S.G. PAUL II - 26/4/1998
RispondiElimina"It is the Lord!" (Jn 21:7). This exclamation of the Apostle John highlights the intense emotion felt by the DISCIPLES when they recognized the Risen Jesus, who appeared to them for the third time on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias.
John acts as spokesman for the feelings of Peter and the other apostles in the presence of the Risen Lord. After a long night of solitude and fatigue, the dawn arrives and his apparition radically changes everything: the darkness is overcome by light, fruitless work becomes easy and abundant fishing, the sense of tiredness and loneliness is transformed into joy and peace.
Since then, these same feelings have animated the CHURCH. If at a superficial look it may sometimes seem that the darkness of evil and the fatigue of daily life have the upper hand, the CHURCH knows with certainty that the light of Easter now shines everlastingly on those who follow CHRIST. The great ANNOUNCEMENT of the Resurrection instills in the hearts of BELIEVERS an inner joy and a renewed hope.
2. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles, which the Liturgy makes us reread during this Easter season, describes the missionary vitality, full of joy, that animated the early Christian community, despite difficulties and obstacles of every kind. This same vitality has been prolonged over the centuries thanks to the action of the HOLY SPIRIT and the docile and generous cooperation of the BELIEVERS.
Today we read in the first reading: "We and the HOLY SPIRIT are WITNESSES of these facts" (Acts 5:32). The HOLY SPIRIT enlivens the APOSTOLIC commitment of the DISCIPLES of CHRIST, sustaining them in their trials, enlightening them in their choices, assuring effectiveness to their ANNOUNCEMENT of the Paschal Mystery.
3. CHRIST is truly RISEN! Alleluia! Today, too, the CHURCH continues to propose the same festive ANNOUNCEMENT. "CHRIST is truly RISEN!", these words are a cry of joy and an invitation to hope. If CHRIST is RISEN, Saint Paul observes, our faith is not in vain. If with CHRIST we died, with Him we are risen: we must now live as risen.
...On this third Sunday of Easter, let us make our own the words of the heavenly liturgy quoted in Revelation. As we contemplate the glory of the RESURRECTED One, let us ask the Lord that your community may be granted a more serene and hopeful future. May the Lord make each of you ever more aware of your mission in the service of the Gospel.
Dear brothers and sisters, may the RISEN CHRIST give you the courage of love; may he make you his WITNESSES! May He fill you with His Spirit so that, with the whole CHURCH, sustained by Mary's intercession, you may proclaim the canticle of glory of the redeemed: "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honour, glory and power" (Rev 5:13). Amen!