3rd Sunday of Easter

The Risen Christ now lives with the Father, but he has not abandoned his disciples. He continues to be present and to direct their lives and work through his word. When Christian communities follow his counsel, the results are often extraordinary, represented in the Gospel by the large quantity of fish caught by the disciples. In the second reading all creatures rejoice and praise Christ, because at las they can fulfill God’s plan for them. The first reading goes into the difficulties the Christian community must face to remain faithful to the Master.

In St. John’s Gospel, Jesus’ appearance demonstrates his great love and forgiveness to his little group of disciples. We know that Peter had denied Jesus, and Thomas had not believed the accounts of the meetings with the Risen Jesus. Yet they are named in Particular in today’s Gospel. They are in the company of the Lord.

What they come to understand, as we hear in the first reading, is that Jesus’ love is forgiving love. Again and again we, like the Apostles, are invited to return to his company even when we have refused or ignored the invitation before. Not only is each of us forgiven, we are commissioned to share the love of God. To accept forgiveness is to begin to live a forgiving life. That’s how we reflect Christ, to give nourishment and care to others.

A reporter asked St. Mother Teresa, “how she converted 15,000 men out of the gutters of Calcutta. How, after dragging these poor mortals into our hospice could you ever evangelize them and teach them the Gospel?” “Well” she said, “I didn’t. When I took care of them and showed them love, I would say to them, would you like to hear about Christ? And they would say, ‘Is Christ like you?’ ‘No I would say, but I try to be like him.’ ‘Then I want to be a Christian.’ ” Pope Francis said, “Love is the greatest power for the transformation of reality because it pulls down the walls of selfishness and fills the ditches that keep us apart.”