Do you love Jesus?

+ J. M. J. +

Homily Outline for the 3rd Sunday of Easter, Year C

We, like the Apostles, have heard the announcement that Jesus is Risen from the Dead! From the Easter Vigil until now, this good news has been the chief concern of every liturgical prayer of the Church, and so we say over and over again, “Alleluia,” that is, “Praise God!” Not only have each of us heard this announcement these weeks, but of course, many times in the past, for as long as we have been Catholic. And, yet, simply to have heard this news is not enough and we see this beautifully in our Gospel today. Simon Peter and the others have gone back to Galilee to fish. I’ve often intended to make a sign and a t-shirt that state, instead of the very common John 3:16, rather John 21:3, a very beautiful verse which we’ve just heard, “Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We also will come with you.’”!!!

As they fish, we don’t really know what’s going through their heads… they have heard of Jesus’ rising, and yet here they are. Maybe they just needed some ready money, and they know how to fish. Maybe they don’t know quite how to respond to the news of the resurrection. Maybe, for Simon Peter in particular, maybe their own weakness in the face of the Passion still burdens their hearts… they know they DID NOT stand by Jesus in His trial and death. How can they in good conscience stand by Him now?

And yet, after a night of fishing with no success, there is the Risen Son, Jesus, standing on the shore, greeting them in that beautiful moment of the rising Sun, although they do not recognize Him. Just as before, He tells them to cast out their net one more time, and when it comes back full to the bursting, John realizes who it is, and Peter impetuously abandons the groaning net and jumps into the sea and swims to shore…

In these days you and I have been immersed in our daily duties… our work, our bills, our families, our friends. We’ve been earning money and spending it, we’ve been studying or training for sports, we’ve been loved by friends and family and tried to love them back. We’ve been immersed in struggles large and small, trying to rise to the occasion. All of this can completely occupy our minds. Right at this very moment, very many of you may be partially or completely occupied by thoughts far away from my homily or even being in Church… Can we stop, can we pause… look at me! Stop, pause, just for a moment, give me your undivided attention, clear your heart of busy distraction, however important… Hear John’s surprised words in that dawn light, “It is the Lord.” Hear the splash as Peter suddenly drops his rope and jumps into the water. Jesus came to them in the midst of their busy lives, their duties, their struggles… and He comes to you and to me now, in this living word, and very shortly on that Altar, Jesus Himself.

Jesus speaks to Simon Peter… and these words are for you and for me: “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” It’s not immediately certain, even grammatically, what the “these” refers to… is it the other apostles? Is it Peter’s daily tasks and work? Is it Peter’s struggles and habits? DO YOU LOVE JESUS MORE? Close your eyes and pause with me and let this question ring in your heart. DO YOU LOVE JESUS MORE? (Pause)

Three times those words rung out in Peter’s ears, and three times he told the truth, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Again “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Again “Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.” Those words might very well be on our lips and in our hearts… we do love Jesus. I don’t doubt that in some way and in some fashion EVERY SINGLE ONE of us here loves Jesus…and yet still the Lord asks us this question as we stand before Him, as we prepare to receive Him into our minds and hearts, in our hands and on our lips… Jesus says to us, “Do you love me?”

If we don’t look into the Lord’s eyes, if we will not allow that question to ring out in our hearts, this Easter season could trundle along and pass us by, another handful of weeks where the priest happens to be wearing white, a pair of months where Easter Lilies are in the sanctuary… But it we will look, if we will hear this question… what might happen? Could we say yes, and hear the Lord’s reply, “Feed my sheep.” Could we recognize that to authentically acknowledge Jesus risen NECESSARILY involves us in hearing Jesus’ final words, “Follow me.” “Follow me.”

In the aftermath of that encounter, as we heard in our first reading, Peter and the apostles were beaten and imprisoned and mocked and hauled before magistrates, but they steadfastly made one reply, “We must obey God rather than men.” The witness of their lives set the world on fire, and despite over 200 years of intense and savage persecution, the Church grew and grew. The voices of men, women, and children from every walk of life cried out with one voice, as we heard in the second reading, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.” Worthy is the Lamb once slain, now risen in glory to receive not only our presence at Mass, not only our nominal or superficial identity as Catholics, but indeed our whole hearts, our whole minds, all our strength. Worthy is the Lamb to be given every burden and struggle and sin and wound. Worthy is the Lamb to have us place at His disposal, in His hands our lives and breath and time and talent and treasure and family, all that we are and all that we have, every single thing a gift from our Creator and Redeemer. Worthy is the Lamb for us to love Him more, He who is more, greater than sin, greater that failure, greater than death itself, the Lamb upon the throne.

Today, once again, my brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus speaks to us intimately, to our hearts, “Do you love me more?” Today may we do more than simply nod and move along… may we do more than simply go back to the hubbub and immerse ourselves in daily things that are not bad, but merely less than Christ. May we say with Peter, “Lord, you know that I love you.” May we hear Jesus call us to serve in the infinitely varied ways that He calls us each day… May we receive Jesus now and by the infinite grace of this Eucharistic gift, may we be empowered to Follow Him.

+ A. M. D. G. +