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[v.8] Homily – May 4, 2025 / 3rd Sunday Easter ● Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41● Psalm 30 ● Revelation 5:11-14 ● John 21:1-19
Mercy,
Mission, and the Call to Love Again [11:30 am: May 4]
[__01_] What
does it mean to win or be victorious? Sometimes we think of winning as
something completely random—like hitting the lottery, Pick-6 or Powerball
jackpot. I’d love to win 1 of these, yet I know there’s no skill or strategy
involved—just pure chance, a long shot based on random probability. On the
other extreme, we view winning as something entirely dependent on our own
effort, where success or failure rests solely on us. If we win, we get all the
credit; if we lose, we bear all the blame.
In John 21:1–19, the disciples are being
taught a lesson about true victory. After “losing” all night in the struggle to
catch fish, they suddenly succeed—not because of their own strength or
strategy, but because they listened to Jesus and followed His direction. Their
success came through obedience to God's will, not through their own efforts
alone. This moment reveals a deeper truth: our ultimate victory—our
salvation—comes through Jesus’ triumph over sin and death. Yet, we are not
passive observers. When we pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as
it is in heaven,” we are committing ourselves to participate in God's will,
just as the disciples did.
[__02_] I’d
like to share 2 “historical biblical” notes about victory – about winning –
from this Gospel.
1st. WATER -- The body of water for the disciples
in this scene is called the Sea of Tiberias, a place also known as the the Sea
of Galilee. So why the name “Tiberias”? It reflects the Roman Empire rule of
the time; it’s a reminder that even geography was shaped by political power.
There’s a saying: “History is written by the victors.” Names change with those
who are in charge. Today, we know it again as the Sea of Galilee—reminding us
that earthly powers rise and fall, but the message and name of Jesus endures.
2nd. Name change for Peter.
During
Jesus’ own ministry there had been another significant name change. That is
Simon the Apostle was re-named the Rock – Petros – and upon this rock, I will
build my church.
This moment is deeply personal for Peter.
After all, Peter denied Jesus 3 x times. What type of ROCK OF STABILITY was he?
Was Peter “victorious”?
There were times when Peter seems to be on
the losing side rather than on Jesus’ side, even prominently getting in Jesus’ way when Jesus predicts his
passion and death and later gets arrested.
[__03_] Jesus
asks Peter 3 x times, “Do you love me?” At first, it may seem puzzling—and
Peter is clearly hurt by the repetition. But there's a deeper meaning. Peter
had denied Jesus 3 x times, and now Jesus gives him the chance to affirm his
love 3 x times. This is not meant to shame Peter, but to heal him and restore
him. It’s also a moment of commissioning: each time Peter responds, Jesus tells
him, “Feed my sheep” or “Tend my lambs.” Jesus is entrusting Peter with the
responsibility of caring for the Church, of becoming a true shepherd.
This
passage also speaks to us today, especially as we pray for the Church and her
leaders. As the cardinals prepare to elect a new Holy Father in the 2025
Conclave, we will headlines declaring who "won" the election. But in
the eyes of Christ, leadership is not about victory in a political sense. The
one who is chosen as pope doesn’t win in order to rule—he wins by becoming a
servant. That’s why the Pope is called “the servant of the servants of God” and
“the successor of Peter.”
This is
the message Jesus gave not just to Peter, but to all who lead in the
Church—bishops, priests, and lay leaders alike. As Jesus taught, “The greatest
among you must be your servant.” Or, as many of our parents taught us growing
up, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.”
[__04_] Mercy is not just an emergency life jacket,
something handed to Peter—or to us—only when everything else has failed. Think
of the moment when Peter sank while trying to walk on water and Jesus pulled
him up. That was an act of mercy, but mercy is meant to be more than just a
rescue plan. It is a way of life—a survival strategy not only for those who
have sinned and seek forgiveness, but also for those who choose to show mercy
to others.
Sometimes
we might feel justified or even victorious in our anger or outrage, believing
it gives us moral high ground. But true victory comes not through holding on to
resentment, but through mercy. Mercy is not only for the trespasser—it is also
for the one who has been wronged or trespassed against.
Forgiveness
acknowledges that a real wound exists, but it also makes a deliberate choice to
seek healing instead of bitterness. We may remember the wrong, but we are
called to release the resentment.
In that
sense, forgiveness is not just a gift to the one who offended you —it is a gift
to you. You are freed by showing forgiveness. The last shall be first
and you win!
[__05_] This isn’t a story about sin, but an example
of mercy after an error / mistake
True
story: I remember when my brother was playing in the semifinal
game of a high school football championship. We were all rooting for him to
win. It was American football—not the World Cup or “real” football like soccer.
At a critical moment in the game, he was handed the ball... and he fumbled it.
The other team recovered, and it looked like the momentum had shifted.
Naturally, he was devastated. Fortunately, his team managed to win the game
anyway.
After the game, I stood with him and our
parents on the field. He said something I know I would’ve said in his place:
“If we had lost, I would have walked home.” He was blaming himself, feeling
like he had let the team down. But what stood out to me was how our parents
responded. They didn’t take the mistake too seriously. They weren’t angry or
disappointed. To them, there were more important things than a game. Their
reaction, while reserved, spoke loudly
of mercy.
Also meaningful was what happened during the
game. After the fumble, the coach didn’t bench my brother. Instead, when the
team got the ball again, he called a play that once again put the ball in my
brother’s hands. He didn’t score a touchdown, but that moment made a deep
impression on me. It was a real act of trust—and mercy.
Years later, I met the coach and told him how
much that moment had meant to me. He shrugged it off saying – “It’s just what
you do” as though every coach on planet Earth would have done the same. Not so.
Mercy is a free choice. But to me, that was also winning. Not the scoreboard
kind, but the kind of victory that comes through mercy and restoration.
[__06_]
Jesus does something powerful with Peter. He doesn’t pretend Peter’s 3
denials never happened—He acknowledges them. But He doesn't reject Peter
either. Instead, He forgives him and entrusts him with a mission: “Feed my
sheep.” This is the essence of mercy. Mercy doesn’t erase the past, but it
gives us the chance to begin again. It restores our dignity and invites us to
move forward with purpose.
Each of us carries within us a deep sense of
what is good, what is true, and what it means to be victorious—not because
we’re the best – the MVP most valuable - or the most successful, but because we
are made by God. We are drawn to what is good because we are made in the image
of the One who is Goodness itself. God is the standard of perfection, and the
love we strive to live by comes from Him.
As Saint Augustine famously said, “Our hearts
are restless until they rest in You.” We long for meaning, truth, and
wholeness—because we long for God. And we find our rest not in achievement, but
in mercy. God’s mercy—revealed in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—draws us
toward healing and wholeness.
That mercy is also at the heart of our
sacramental life. It’s why the Church offers the Sacrament of Penance and
Reconciliation. In confession, we experience the same kind of mercy Peter
received on the shore of the Sea of Galilee: not condemnation, but forgiveness
and restoration. If it’s been a while since your last confession, don’t be
afraid. I’m always happy to walk you through the steps—whether on a Saturday at
Our Lady of Lourdes from 4:15 to 5:00 PM, or by appointment. And of course, all
Catholic parishes are ready to welcome you in this sacrament of mercy.
The Gospel isn’t just Peter’s biography, or
even just the apostles’ life history. It’s our biography too—a story of failure
and redemption, of sorrow and new beginnings. We, like Peter, are asked by
Jesus: “Do you love me?” My prayer is that each of us can answer, with sincerity,
“Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
This is how we let God “win” in our lives—not by our perfection, but by our willingness to trust in His mercy and follow Him. That’s what true victory looks like.
[ end]
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