May
5, 2019 [3rd Sunday Easter] ● Acts 5:27-32 ● Psalm 30 ● Revelation
5:11-14 ● + John
21:1-19 ●
[_01_] A
special welcome this morning to our children, of First Holy Communion, those
who made First Holy Communion last Sunday.
[_02_] We are pleased to have our children´s choir
with us at this Mass as we also sing today as we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary
with a profession of flowers in a few minutes.
[_03_] I´d like to refer in this Gospel to 2 moments
of Jesus, our Lord.
That is, Jesus
[►does a REVELATION to the disciples
…] Then, Jesus …
[►does a REVERSAL of the denials of
Peter …]
1st.
[►The REVELATION to the
disciples …]
“Revelations” are important.
Awards and reputations seems to be
made or to be lost based on a revelation – positive or negative.
We are hyper-connected online to check
up on people´s reputations and status.
The revelation attracts attention with, for
example, the small envelope at, the Oscars/Academy Awards. ¨And, the envelope please- ¨
Your reputation is made or lost if you
are the Best Director or Best Picture.
In the Book of the Gospel of John,
this Sunday, it is not Jesus’ name that is revealed or his name that is read.
Rather, Jesus appears in person, just
as last Sunday’s Gospel reported Jesus appearing to Thomas the Apostle in
person to say…
…”put your fingers here and see my
hands and bring your hand and put into my side but do not be unbelieving but
believe.”
(John
20:27)
So, there is a disclosure that Jesus
is real…. that his death was real and, now, more importantly, his life is real.
That is the [►The REVEAL to the disciples …]
[*** pause ***]
And, Jesus comes also to speak with
Peter.
[_04_] This is the [►the
REVERSAL of the denials of Peter …]
Peter was a “near-miss” we might say
on the night before Jesus died. How did Peter nearly miss?
Peter followed Jesus after Jesus was
arrested, followed him into the Temple area,
and then as people started asking Peter “do you know this ‘prime suspect’ Jesus?” or “didn’t I see you with him?” . And, Peter says
– 3x three times – ‘No I don’t know him… who? That man …never seen him before… ’
And, denies Jesus 3x.
Peter had a “near-miss”, he was so
close, but missed his connection to Jesus at the moment of his Passion.
Nevertheless, Peter was not totally
lost. There was hope for Peter.
And, in a very deliberate way, Jesus
now asks Peter three times: “do you love
me…?”
The 3 x question “do you love me?” is [►the REVERSAL of the denials of Peter …].
[_05_] I’d like to give some examples of this
REVERSAL and “near miss” and our need for God and each other.
The first is a world-history example;
the second a personal example.
1st The
world-history example.
In 1940, the people of Great Britain
and the people of London had reason to fear and worry because Nazi Germany was
on the march and the British government feared a German attack from the air,
airplanes, bombs.
So much fear that the evacuation of
London was starting to be planned and considered to be an absolute foregone
conclusion.
So, all sorts of hospitals and
buildings were constructed so that after the bombing people could live there because
surely people would leave London.
Because, would the Londoners not be demoralized
after the bombing?
And, in fact, over 40,000 people died,
many were injured, but the vast majority in a city of 8 million were unharmed and
was an experience that emboldened the British people.
A sign of British strength and
stoicism in face of great distress.
In a book about underdogs and how they
will “battle giants” (David and
Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell)
Malcolm
Gladwell wrote that the favorite in this war was certainly Germany and the
Nazis. They wanted to win the war and perhaps would have won if they had not “messed
with” Britain.
Because, Britain became even bolder
and braver as a result of this experience.
[_06_] And,
Peter is invited this new boldness and bravery – a new strength born of
adversity that will make a him a better disciple, a priest … in fact, a better
follower. But, do we believe the same about adversity and forgiveness from sin?
Because when we have adversity we are
also called to repentance, to forgiveness, and sometimes to go in REVERSE…the
REVERSAL OF OUR OWN DENIALS.
Going in reverse helps us to go
forward.
This
is my 2nd closing personal example …personal…
Many years ago, I was crossing a busy
street in the city, in New York. As I approached
the curb, I recall looking to see if there were any cars coming down the
street. No cars… I’m good… And,there were no cars coming down the street. I was
correct.
But, as I walked out from behind a parked van,
there was a bicycle messenger coming
down the street at that very moment. And, those guys travel fast!.
We collided. Fortunately, neither of
us was hurt. To show you how long ago this was, I recall having to pick up my
pager and put the batteries back into the pager in that stone-age time before
cell phones.
I was shaken up and scared ..but
fortunately I was not hurt and the bicycle messenger was long gone.
I remember that I was on my way to see
some people I worked with at the time.
I remember how important it was for me
to tell them what had happened … even though I was embarrassed at what had
happened and I was not completely in the right.
And, I recall how important their questions
– are you ok – were to me at the time. And,
sharing their own experience with bicycle messengers…
It was important for me to know their
care.
An experience in which I had to go in
REVERSE to recover.
I had to go back on the sidewalk and
dust myself off. Sometimes, we have to go in reverse in order to go forward.
Or, to go in reverse as Peter did, to
reverse the denials and to hear Jesus’ words revealed to us: “Follow
me”. [_fin_]
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