Love The True Test Of Discipleship!

 (Homily for 3^rd Sunday of Easter Year C)

          The readings of this third Sunday of Easter are very much fascinating, the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (5:27b-32.40b-41) describes the first steps and experiences of the Church in history, their difficulties and their struggle to defend their faith. The second from the book of Revelation (5:11-14) tells us about the Church that lives and exists beyond human history, the Church in eternal adoration before the Lamb. The first reading is contextualized in the earthly Jerusalem, while the second is in the heavenly Jerusalem. In fact, these two readings permit us to contemplate together the journey and the destination of Christians, the Church here and the Church hereafter. Indeed, is as if these two readings urge us to climb, like Moses on mount Nebo, in order to see the Promised Land from afar (cf. Deut. 32:48-49). However, we are still journeying towards our own Promised Land, but in between our journey and our destination the Gospel of today (Jn. 21:1-19) tells us one of the most essential things to do in order to arrive at the desired destination, and that is Love. This episode between Jesus and Peter is ancient and yet so new and fresh in its vigour to interrogate us deep in the heart. This quaestio of Jesus to Peter is still valid for each and everyone us today. It is still valid for those in authority and those under authority. The question still resounds: “Do you love (agapao) me?”.

          In the first reading we see the audacity of the apostles, who were arrested for refusal to desist preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. Truly this courageous gesture of defiance has always been the propelling force of the Church especially in times of persecution. The apostles fearlessly continued their preaching with the assurance “We must obey God rather than men”. The most fascinating aspect of this passage is the indication of a double witness: the apostles and the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn. 15:26). No doubt, these two witnesses are necessary, for without the Spirit, the word, the preaching of the apostles becomes inactive, and in the same vein, the Spirit without the word risks to deviate from the original witness to Christ’s event.

         The second reading is a presentation of John’s vision about the heavenly liturgy. And in this imagery, the liturgy of the church is seen as the reflexion of the heavenly liturgy. At the centre of this passage, is Christ presented as the “lamb that was slain”, the Paschal Lamb, this tradition could be traced to 1 Cor. 5. Here, we are before the throne of the Lamb, and we re-echo our voices together with those of the living creatures and the elders saying: “the Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, glory and benediction” (Rev. 5:12).

          The passage of the Gospel is a fascinating one, which could be linked back to the first appearance of the Lord to the twelve by the lake of Galilee, here in the context of a meal. On the other hand, it could also be linked with the miraculous catch of fishes as presented in the earthly ministry of Jesus (cf. Lk.5). However, the episode of John 21 is not to be regarded as a retrojection of an appearance story into the earthly life of Jesus, rather it is currently regarded as a projection of the earthly miracle into the context and ambience of the resurrection.

          Moreover, the Gospel reminds us that the Church in her earthly sojourn, has a Guide and a Shepherd established by God, that is, the Petrine ministry in the Church. Therefore, this passage reminds us not only of the person of Peter and his ministry, but also of his function of shepherding the flock, and the figure of the successor of St. Peter. Upon consideration, the essentials of the Petrine ministry are contained in the three fold interrogation of Jesus to Peter: Simon of John, do you love me? Yes, Lord, you know that I love you, take care of my sheep”. This is parallel to the passage of the first Gospel (cf. Mt. 16:17-19), which dwells on the primacy of Peter. However, it is worthy to note that while in the Matthean account in Cesarea Philipi, the primacy is linked to a profession of faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of God”, in the context of our passage today, it is linked to a profession of love: “You know that I love you”.

          The ministry of Peter is that of representation, he represents the presence of the Risen Lord in the Church, who gave his life for his sheep, who “was dead, but now lives”. Therefore, Peter is indeed, the vicarious amoris Christi, he renders the Love of Jesus to and for his Spouse (the Church) visible. Little wonder, Jesus did not ask him, Peter do you love them (the sheep), but Peter, do you love me, for the flock is not entrusted to the love Peter may or may not have for them, but to the love of Christ, which passed and is expressed through Peter. His truly is a representation, because the Person that is represented (Christ) is not absent, is Risen, is Alive! Peter does not represent a dead person, but the Living One, an ever present God.

          Peter and his successors continue throw the net when they proclaim the word of truth, which is the Gospel of Salvation. Be that as it may, one could see the common thread that connects the first reading to the Gospel, for the first reading enables us to see the primacy of Peter in action, therein, he proclaims the Good News of Christ’s resurrection with profound courage, and at the same time denouncing the sin of the world (which revolves around the killing of the Son of man), and at the same time calling people to conversion. In that bid therefore, the first and the fundamental task of Peter is bearing testimony or witness to Jesus in Spirit and in Power. Little wonder, he declared: “Of these facts we are witnesses, we and the Holy Spirit”. And later, in the Church another task relating to this one will emerge, and that is the surveillance on the authenticity and exactness of the testimony, that is the orthodoxy, and therefore, the Magisterium. Above all, the first is more important, and that is rendering testimony that Jesus is risen and is the Lord. As such, it entails the prolongation on earth of the testimony rendered to Jesus at Caesarea Philippi: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16).

            But this testimony encounters an opposition, in the first reading, “we have ordered you, not to preach in that name again” (Acts 5:28). And till today, still in our own time, the testimony of his resurrection and lordship continue to encounter oppositions (legalization of abortion, injustice, violence and war etc.). The testimony of Peter, like that of Jesus, is a testimony that is bound to be contradicted, “Look he is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is opposed” (Lk. 2:34). Bearing witness to Him many a times leads to martyrdom or persecution. However, in the words of St. Peter, “it is better to obey God than men” (Acts 5:29). And again, one of the interesting elements that emanates from both the Gospel and the first reading is that Peter was not alone in the fishing and in the shepherding, “Peter said to them, I am going to fish, and they said to him we will come with you”. In the first reading we read, “But Peter and the apostles answered” (Acts 5:29). No doubt, today we see this sense of communion or togetherness in the collegiality of the Bishops. They are united in the tre munere: of teaching, sanctifying and governing (Lumen Gentium 22).

           In this encounter, with the interrogations on love, Jesus took Peter face to face to his own reality. Some have even said that the threefold questions of Jesus are in relation to the threefold denials of Peter. They see in Peter’s affirmation a renewal of his promise to Jesus. And Jesus restored trust in him. Similarly, in our spiritual journey at times like Peter we have derailed in so many ways. That of Peter was the denial of Jesus. Ours may be insincerity, greed, jealousy, pride, hardness of heart and hatred etc. But Jesus still asks us: “Do you love me?”. By means of this, Jesus restored Peter’s trust. One thing very interesting is that in the restoration of trust to Peter, in view of his responsibility as a Shepherd, Jesus questions him on love. This goes a long way in revealing to us the importance of love in the enterprise of authority and leadership in particular, and in discipleship in general. In that episode, Jesus did not ask Peter as it is often done in the church when one is about to mount a reasonable seat of authority, do you know how to preach, are you a good administrator, are you a good organizer? How many Degrees, Masters or Doctorates do you have? Instead Jesus asked him “Do you know how to love”, “Do you love me”. Jesus’ interview or evaluation centres on love. Truly, the centrality of love in the interrogation of Jesus reveals in no small way that Christianity is a religion of love. Christianity is not a religion of books or of doctrines but of LOVE. The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ are the reality show of the essence of Christianity.

          In posing this question Jesus did not call Peter by the new name that was given to him, when he assumed the mission, but Jesus called him by his former name: Simon (Jn. 1:42). The reference Jesus makes to the former name was to remind Peter of his defects and fragility as a human being, of his past and what supposed to be his present. In the first and second questions that Jesus asked Peter, whether he loves him. Jesus was using the Greek verb agapao (which entails a love of sacrifice, a love in which one is ready to give himself, it is the highest form of love), but Peter was responding using the Greek verb filein (which has to do with love of friendship). After the experience of distrust created by Peter he felt incapable of loving Jesus in a profound way. That was why he continued answering using another verb. Then, in the third question Jesus changed and asked Peter with the same verb filein that Peter has been using to answer His question of agapao. Here, we see the role love plays in the restoration of trust. How deep and intense is our love for God?

          Drawing the issue further, in the context of this Gospel periscope, we cannot talk about the ministry of Peter without mentioning that of John as well. As a matter of fact, at least three good times, we discover in the Gospel a rapport or coming together of Peter and John: ●At the last supper, Peter needed to go to the disciple that Jesus loved in order to know who was going to betray Jesus (cf. Jn. 13:23). ●On the day of Easter, the two ran to the tomb, the beloved Apostle ran very fast and arrived before Peter, but he waits for Peter to enter first in the tomb (cf. Jn. 20:2). ●Likewise, in today’s Gospel, the beloved apostle was the first to recognize the Lord, but it was Peter who went first to him, to one Jesus said: follow me, to the other he said I want you to remain. In the parlance of St. Augustine, the two represent the faces of the Church: the Church that is in struggle and the Church that contemplates. Or from another dimension, the ministerial Church and the Church of love, this brings to light, the rapport between hierarchy and sanctity in the Church. Peter in his ministry needs John, who puts his head on the heart of Jesus in order to know the desires of Christ. John is the prophet who listens and then reveals “what the Spirit says to the Churches” (Rev. 2:7). In all, in the New testament Peter and John are recognized as two different apostles, and yet always together (cf. Lk. 22:8; Acts 3:1; 4:13; 8:14).

          Beloved in Christ, whatever your own experience of faith may be, whether you have denied Him many times like Peter (Jn. 18: 15-27), whether you have doubted Him like Thomas (Jn. 20:25), whether you have made a selfish request like James and John and their mother (Mt. 20:20; Mk. 10:35), whether you feel that your sins cannot be forgiven like Judas (Mt. 27:5), just make a trial and respond to the question of and on love Jesus is asking you today. Do you really love Him? Despite what your past might have been He will forgive you, restore you and have confidence in you. For this St. Paul writes: “for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and the new one is here” (2 Cor. 5:17). May Jesus show us His Love and Mercy! Happy Sunday!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)