Do you love me?

Third Sunday of Easter

May your people exult for ever, O God, in renewed youthfulness of spirit, so that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption, we may look forward in confident hope to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

First Reading
Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41

We are witnesses of these words as is the Holy Spirit.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in
   and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them,
   “We gave you strict orders did we not,
   to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
   and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
   though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
   to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
   as is the Holy Spirit that God has given to those who obey him.”

The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles
   to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
   rejoicing that they had been found worthy
   to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 30:2, 3, 5-6, 11-12, 13

R. :

℟. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
   and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
   you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.

℟. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
   and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
   a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
   but with the dawn rejoicing.

℟. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
   O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
   O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.

℟. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

Second Reading
Rev 5:11-14

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches.

A reading from the Book of Revelation

I, John,  looked again and heard the voices of many angels
   who surrounded the throne
   and the living creatures and the elders.
They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice:
      “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
         to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength,
         honor and glory and blessing.”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
   and under the earth and in the sea,
   everything in the universe, cry out:
      “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
         be blessing and honor, glory and might,
         forever and ever.”
The four living creatures answered, “Amen,”
   and the elders fell down and worshiped.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Christ is risen, creator of all;
he has shown pity on all people.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 21:1-19 or 21:1-14

Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and in like manner the fish.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
   Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons,
   and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
   but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
   but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
   and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
   because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
   he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
   and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
   for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
   dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
   they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
   full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
   because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
   and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
   after being raised from the dead.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
   “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
   “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jesus said to him the third time,
   “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time,
   “Do you love me?” and he said to him,
   “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
   you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
   but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
   and someone else will dress you
   and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Or: [Short Form:]

At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
   Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons,
   and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
   but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
   but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
   and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
   because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
   he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
   and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
   for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
   dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
   they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
   full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
   because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
   and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
   after being raised from the dead.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Jn 21:1-19 |

In the Gospel according to St. John, this was the third time that Jesus appeared to His disciples.  What does Jesus say in this passage?  What is Jesus saying to us today? 

“Children, have you any fish?” 

Jesus is interested in our well-being.  He sees us struggling with many things.  He longs to be with us even at work and during our leisure time. 

“Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” 

He longs to provide us with what we lack, just to see us happy. Do we realise that Jesus is always with us?  Do we realise that He communicates with us?  Do we comprehend how much He wants to be part of our lives? 

“Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”  

“Come and have breakfast.” 

He enjoys using what is familiar to us and what brings us joy to enter into a relationship with us.  He feeds us!  In today’s Gospel, with bread and fish.  What does Jesus feed you?  His Word?  His Body?  Have you entered into communion with Jesus?  His Words, “Come and have breakfast,” are invitation for intimacy with Him, to spend some time with Him as friends.  Then He turns to Peter and begins an unexpected dialogue.  Jesus is speaking to Peter and to us. A dialogue that requires listening and a response on our part. 

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”  

“Feed my lambs.”   

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “ 

 “Tend my sheep.”  

 “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”  

“Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.”  

Now, instead of Peter, hear your name being called! 

“DO YOU LOVE ME?” 

“More that these?”—more than the other disciples?  In other words, more than they love me? 

What is my response? 

What about you? 

Finally, He invites you and me: 

“Follow Me.” 

Prayer 

Lord, let me allow you to feed me with Yourself, to draw me near to You, that I may truly follow You. Amen. 

 

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