RELIVED EXPERIENCE WITH JESUS

V/​ I will turn to you O God, 

R/​ to God who gives joy to my youth

V/​ Give me the Wisdom that sits by your throne; 

R/ that I may be counted among your children

Lord, in your all-providential plan, you have led me to this moment to rediscover me in your Word and Wisdom. Aid me to make this time of meditation and prayer enriching, transforming, and liberating for my well-being and others. Amen!

RELIVED EXPERIENCE WITH JESUS

By Fr. Luke-Dominic Onweah

Third Sunday of Easter Year C

Acts 5:27-32. 40-41; Psalm 30(29):2-6, 11-13; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19)

4th May 2025

The theme of our liturgy of the Word presents us with the risen Christ who approaches and meets his disciples where they are. In today’s resurrection appearance we see a common trend as in other appearances of Jesus:

First, Jesus takes the initiatives of who to appear to. He appears to them, but something prevents them from recognising him. Secondly, something happens, either by what he says or what he does with which he was known while still on earth with them that makes them recognize him. And lastly, there is the commissioning to become apostles of the resurrection, to proclaim Jesus and the message of salvation to others. We see this pattern in the appearance to the women at the tomb, in the appearance to the men to Emmaus, and now we see it again in the appearance to Peter and his companions at the sea of Tiberias. But why is this the case?

The prevailing SENSE OF LOST AND HOPELESSNESS – The disciples seem to have lost hope in the mission of Jesus Christ. And since it seems this venture for which they abandoned their source of livelihood to embark on has come to a stop, the most practical thing is to go back to their profession. They did, but unfortunately, throughout the night they caught nothing. This was a point of contact for a relived experience with Jesus, redirecting them to rediscover the purpose for which he called them in the first place. St Teresa of Avila would tell us that moments of crisis are moments of divine encounter, as God approaches us to assist us. Our wounds, our vulnerability, our failures and inadequacies are entry points of the divine into the human condition.

It profits to say, JESUS MEETS US AT OUR POINTS OF NEED. Jesus seeing their failure, directs them to cast their nets for a catch. Jesus meets humanity at its point of brokenness and hopelessness and invites us to walk with him. Sometimes we may rationalise or give excuses; we do not trust him. At worst, we reject that invitation, yet it is in putting a leg forward that the miracle happens. Jesus invites us to trust him even in our moments of failure that he can turn the tide.

What this experience begets is a MISSION, a mission to shepherd like Peter, but in our own capacities. We have to trust Jesus’ words enough to cast down our nets. For in this way, Peter proved himself trustworthy for the responsibility that will be his. The true test of love consists in a diligent attention to all that pertains to a lover. Peter must now untie the knots which he out of fear ties to deny himself the responsibility of sharing the Lord’s concern. “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others do? Feed my lambs; look after my sheep; feed my sheep.”

This threefold role of Peter is the same as the one given him in the synoptic gospels after he professed that Jesus is the messiah. This role of feeding the sheep is the role of leadership, as the first, and leader of the apostles, and of the church. It is from here that the pope, who is the vicar of Christ on earth gets the teaching role of leading the whole flock of Christ tenderly and caringly like the good shepherd. Thus, in matters of faith and moral the pope cannot err because the spirit of the risen Christ still guides and directs him.

This role is seen displayed in the speech of Peter in the first reading as the leader of the Christian community: “Obedience to God comes before obedience to men.” Such obedience will eventually lead to the ultimate price of bearing witness of shedding of his blood, as already indicated in the gospel. May we cooperate with Christ who has called us to bear witness to him.