Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: John 21: 1-19

After this, 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?”  He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he 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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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We continue our parish pilgrimage through the Holy Land. Today Mass is being celebrated at the Church of the Primacy of Peter, where Jesus named Peter the leader of the Apostles, the “rock” of the Church.

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“Do you love me?”

This is the most important question God has ever asked human beings, really the only one that matters: “Do you love me?”

“Lord, Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!” Peter says.

“Lord, Lord.”

In Latin, “Domine, Domine.”

It’s from the Latin word, Domine, that we have the English word, “dominate.”

“Lord, Lord.” … “Domine, Domine.” … “Dominate.”

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It sounds strange for Peter to say to Jesus, in so many words, “Lord, dominate.”

But to “dominate” means to be the central cause or reason behind an action. What Peter is saying to Jesus, then, is that Jesus is the very center of his life.

Peter will prove this three decades from now when he offers his life for his sheep, as the Lord asks him to do. But feeling unworthy to die like his Master, Peter will ask his executioners to crucify him upside down, a reminder of how unworthy he felt.

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We are all gathered here on the shores of Galilee to say with Peter, “Lord, Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you! You are the center of my life.”

In what ways do we show Christ that he is the center of our life?

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As we continue our journey together, may Peter pray for us, that we’d have the same courage to follow Jesus, even to the point of offering our lives.

“Lord, Lord, Domine, Domine…You know everything. You know that I love you. You are the center of my life.”

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Image Credits: (1) The Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter, Perugino (2) Church of the Primacy of Peter, America Magazine (3)

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Gospel: Luke 1: 26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man? And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Parish Pilgrimage, Day 1: Mass is being offered today at the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth.

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“Nothing will be impossible for God.”

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What an excellent way to begin our parish pilgrimage. We’ve all come here with a number of prayer intentions, not only for ourselves but also for others. I’m literally carrying a bookbag full of prayer intentions we received from parishioners back home!

As we begin journeying together, learning more about the life and ministry of Jesus, we rejoice in the angel Gabriel’s promise, once made to Mary and now made to us, “Nothing will be impossible for God.”

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We now take a moment to call to mind all those particular prayer intentions. I invite you to either say them out loud, so that we can pray with you, or to lift them up from your heart in silence.

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Image credits: (1) Basilica of the Annunciation (2) Ibid. (3) Ibid.

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Gospel: Luke 24: 35-48

he disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,
and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.”
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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What is the first word that Jesus says after being raised from the dead?

“Peace.”

In Hebrew, “Shalom.”

“Shalom” means inner stillness; harmony; wholeness; prosperity.

These are the things the Risen Lord offers his disciples in today’s Gospel after appearing to them behind locked doors.

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You can imagine the disciples hiding fearfully somewhere in Jerusalem. Outside their room, they can hear children running through the alley ways, locals bartering in the streets, people chattering back and forth.

Meanwhile, they must’ve been wondering, “Are those the same voices who shouted ‘Crucify him!’ on Good Friday? If we leave this space, will people recognize us? Will we be crucified next?”

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Thankfully they’re discovered, not by an aggressor, but by the Lord.

“Peace,” he says. Shalom.

The Lord does for the disciples what no one else can; he stills their hearts.

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At times, I’m sure we all feel like the disciples did, not necessarily fearing for our lives, but afraid of one thing or another. In those moments, the invitation remains the same: turn to the Lord, who offers what only he can, peace.

Shalom.

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Image credits: (1) Minnesota Annual Conference (2) Doubting Thomas, Caravaggio (3) JosephPrince.com