Readings:
Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41
Psalm 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19
Today, as we celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter, we are reminded of the profound call to be Paschal witnesses of the Risen Christ. Our beloved brother, the late Papa Francisco often urged us to be joyfully courageous in our faith, to proclaim the Gospel, and to live our lives in a way that reflects the joy and hope of Easter, or better, la Pascua de la Resurrección, as we call it in Spanish.
Today’s readings are from the Acts of the Apostles, the Book of Revelation and John;s Gospel as well as from Psalm 30. In the Acts of the Apostles, we see Peter and the apostles standing firm in their mission to spread the Good News, even when confronted by the authorities. Peter, who days before had denied Jesus three times in the high priest’s courtyard out of fear, finds himself standing before the Sanhedrin and boldly defending his faith in the name of Jesus. The high priest interrogated him saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us” (Acts 5:28). Peter, the first pope, spoke for the apostles responding, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” He then gave witness to the Risen Christ and he rejoiced at having had the opportunity to do so in such difficult circumstances.
Papa Francisco gave great importance to our being witnesses to the risen Christ. We participate in the mission of God by giving witness to the Resurrection. In this Jubilee year of hope, we remember that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are at the heart of Christian hope. With this hope, we can confront difficult situations with courage, perseverance and determination. Our witness gives praise to the Lord, for he has rescued us; He has turned our mourning into dancing (Ps 30).
The early disciples mourned the death of Jesus, but his Resurrection gave them cause to rejoice. The Resurrection of Christ is not a myth, it is a true event. In today’s Gospel, the risen Lord cooks breakfast for his disciples. The image of Jesus cooking fish over a hot fire on the beach brings to mind the humble and loving personality of our beloved brother, papa Francisco. Like Jesus, he came to serve and not be served and like Jesus even now in eternal life, I imagine he continues to pray for us that we may be united in our witness to the risen Christ.
As we mourn the loss of our brother Francisco, let us echo sentiments of a jubilee of hope because this is the heart of the Gospel. Let us pray that the new pope will continue to serve the Church, the poor and the oppressed with the same generous heart of Francisco, a heart patterned after the Sacred Heart of Jesus, our Risen Lord.
Going back to the beach, Jesus cooks for and eats with his disciples, showing them that His resurrection is indeed true. Jesus engages Peter and us in the truth of the resurrection. He asks Peter, “Do you love me (agapas me)?” We know the rest of the story. It seems Jesus asked Peter the same question three times, but translators are traitors. The text in English is not translated correctly.
Peter responds to Jesus “philo se” which means “I like you,” and “I really like you.” The third time in the story, Jesus asks Peter “Do you like me (phileis me)?” to which Peter affirms “I really like you (philo se).”
Jesus meets Peter where Peter is, like he does with us. Papa Francisco used to insist that God wants “todos, todos, todos” (everyone, everyone, everyone). For this to happen, God has to meet us halfway and work with us so we can walk the rest of the way with Him. In today’s Gospel, Jesus accepts that at that moment, Peter cannot love him. Still, he is certain that one day, Peter, as the first head of the Church, would feed the sheep and care for the lambs by boldly giving witness to the risen Christ before the Sanhedrin and eventually in Rome as well. Peter died crucified upside down at the Vatican, where he is buried as one of the countless angels and creatures singing praises to the Lamb in John’s vision.
As we continue to celebrate the Eucharist, let us pray for the repose of our brother Papa Francisco as he joins the first pope in praising the Lamb who was slain (Rev 5:12). Let us pray also for ourselves that we will be a church that always gives witness proclaiming, “Christ is truly risen!” as an invitation to hope.
And finally, as the present conclave begins to elect a new pope, let us pray that the College of Cardinals will be inspired by Pope Francis’s call to be bold witnesses of the Gospel as good news for the poor and oppressed. May the pope they elect continue the jubilee of hope by reminding us to obey God rather than human authority, to trust in God’s healing power, and to offer our worship to the Lamb who is worthy of all praise. And may we, and especially the new pope, always remember the question, “Do you love me?”, allowing it to guide him and us in our journey of faith and service. Amen.
Prof. Gilberto Cavazos-Gonzalez, OFM
John Duns Scotus Chair of Franciscan Spirituality
Professor of Christian Spirituality (Studies)