OMELIE / Omelie EN

04 mag 2025

04/05/2025 - 3rd Sunday of Easter - Year C

04/05/2025 - 3rd Sunday of Easter - Year C

1st reading Acts 5 27-32 40-41 from Psalm 29 2nd reading Rev 5,11-14 Gospel Jn 21,1-19

‘The Lamb who was slain is worthy to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honour, glory and blessing’. With these words all creatures worship our Lord and Saviour Jesus. We join in this solemn song that unites us not only with all men, but also with all the living, to acknowledge that the Lamb who was slain is the source of our life and joy, of the communion we can have with our brothers and sisters and with the whole world.

The death by which Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice to God is the night that prepared and preceded the splendid light of his resurrection. He is alive, he is seated next to God, with him he reigns in love, and therefore we praise him, we bless him without ceasing, and without tiring we acknowledge him as having authority over our lives, our thoughts, our desires, our feelings, our friendships, our plans and our policies large and small.

Peter and the apostles joyfully endured insults, slander and flogging for wanting to give their Lord wisdom and honour, and joyfully continued without being intimidated by the threats of men. They are an example to us, an example that we will often have to refer to in order to deal with the overt or covert enmity that always creeps in against faith in Jesus, wherever it is lived.

The apostles rejoiced to suffer for the name of their Lord: they had the strength and the humility to do so because they all felt united with Peter in answering that question that Jesus never ceased to ask: ‘Do you love me?’. There is only one possible answer, but when the question is repeated, it begins to make us think, to ponder the consequences of a yes, to doubt whether our love is really true and stable. And when the question is repeated the third time we try to remember what happened before, whether we did something without love or contrary to the Lord's love.

Of course Jesus continues to ask his question, and we wait to answer: first we correct our intentions, change our orientation, remove the feelings of selfishness that dominate us almost without us noticing. Then we say with joy: ‘Yes, you know I love you, Jesus!’. We can tell him, but always with humility, with the humility of one who knows he still needs to grow and mature in love, and with the humility of one who knows he needs to be corrected and guided. ‘Yes, I love you, Jesus. You, however, continue to suggest to me how I can do to truly love you, not only with words, but with deeds. You correct my feelings, so that I do not get carried away by the vanities of the world, by pride, by desires to excel. I love you, Lord Jesus, but you watch over my love, so that it does not stop, does not become weak, does not delude itself that it is complete and stable’.

Jesus enjoys our responses, albeit imperfect ones. Every time we tell him we love him, he believes us, trusts us and gives us a task in his Church. In it, no one can remain a spectator. Whoever remains a spectator in the Church becomes a critic of his brothers, becomes lazy, one who loves no one, not even Jesus.

To Peter Jesus gave the task of shepherding, that is, to guide, feed, warn of danger and defend, keep the sheep together and give them rest.

What task will he give us, if not to collaborate with him? Begin also by listening to the one to whom Jesus has also given assignments for you, and the voice of the Lord will reach you to occupy also your energies in his kingdom and his holy Church.

The questions that Jesus asked Peter are those that must be answered by anyone who undertakes a service in the Church. Any service, if not performed out of love for Jesus, out of love for him, will risk being performed in a spirit of command, domination, or vainglory, or pride. The questions put to Peter are the entrance exam for every task, from the greatest to the smallest in the Church, at all ages. Whoever is not committed to loving Jesus will not be fit even to shag the church, nor to let children play, nor to serve the elderly and the sick, nor to sing during celebrations with his beautiful voice, nor to educate his children or grandchildren. If you do not love Jesus you do not bring the Holy Spirit into the community in which you serve, and then you will be useless for the kingdom of God. He who loves Jesus always bears fruit, even if he does not perform any recognised task. The question, ‘Do you love me?’ is valuable.