Tag: sunday

Year C | 5/4/19 | John 21:1-19

~ eatthescroll ~ Leave a comment

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 here 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 his 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 asked 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 a 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.”

John 21:1-19 (NABRE)

The Easter liturgical season brings out some of my favorite Gospel passages.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus calls Peter, James, and John to follow him after they pull in a miraculous catch of fish. Upon seeing the enormous amount, Peter tells Jesus, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). To this, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” A similar interaction takes place here, only now, Jesus has risen from the dead and Peter is still distraught over denying that he knew his beloved Lord. Here we see, once again, the immeasurable Divine Mercy of Jesus. As Jesus said to St. Faustina, mercy is His greatest attribute. Time and again we see Him exercise his mercy in Holy Scripture, and we experience it in our own lives. Jesus does not spare an opportunity to show that He wants to forgive sin and lead us away from its misery.

Not only does Jesus forgive Peter, He also reaffirms the commission he gave to him earlier as the rock upon which the Church will be built (Matthew 16:18). Jesus entrusts his flock to the care of someone of the likes of Peter, who throughout the Gospels is depicted as passionate and genuine yet impulsive and somewhat obtuse.

It is astonishing to think that the Eleven, who went out and fearlessly preached the Gospel throughout the Roman world and beyond and baptized, confirmed, and nourished with the Lord’s Body and Blood so many thousands of people, started out as a ragtag group composed mostly of uneducated fishermen. Matthew (Levi), who worked at a tax office as a collector, was probably the only one of them who could read. You would think that Jesus would select some prominent members of the Sanhedrin to carry out the sacred mission of preaching and evangelizing to the ends of the earth. In our minds, only the best of the best get hired. However, we often forget that God is also a part of the equation. His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). If He calls you to do something, He also will supply you with the divine grace you need to do it. He has a great track record — just read the Acts of the Apostles and see what Peter was able to do with God’s help! Be not afraid of your own sinfulness and weaknesses when God calls you. You have His support. It only takes your willful cooperation.

For Peter, following Jesus meant martyrdom. Jesus hints to his face at what death he would die (crucifixion; i.e. “you will stretch out your hands”). Be prepared for whatever may come as a result of saying “yes” to Jesus. The future is uncertain, but Jesus’ love is certain. He cares deeply, so much so that He went out of His way to feed His friends and disciples breakfast even after accomplishing His salvific work on the Cross and resurrecting from the dead.

Thank you for reading. Peace.

Year C | 4/28/19 | John 20:19-31

~ eatthescroll ~ Leave a comment

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. [Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins to forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

John 20:19-31 (NABRE)

A fitting reading for this Feast of Divine Mercy.

Each “block” of text here will be treated separately. There is so much to chew and savor in this account of one of Jesus’ post-Resurrection appearances.

First, we see two effects of the mission and ministry of the Apostles: forgiveness of sins and the peace of Christ, which are bonded with an intimate connection. Jesus makes his disciples ministers of mercy in expressly giving them the authority to forgive sins on earth. To this day, the successors to the Apostles in the episcopacy and their collaborators in the presbyterate forgive the sins of penitents through the Sacrament of Confession. As a Catholic, I am overly appreciative of this wonderful sacrament that Jesus Christ gave to his Holy Catholic Church. Jesus institutes a “tribunal of mercy,” as He describes it to St. Faustina Kowalska, that is such a tangible and concrete way to experience the forgiveness of sins that is granted so generously by our Savior. With the graces that come from this sacrament is the peace of Christ. This is a peace that gives us a preview of what is to come in Heaven. A peace that reminds us of the love with which Jesus showers us constantly. A peace from the Prince of Peace who gives to us abundantly and draws us to blissful communion with Him in his Kingdom. How generous is our Lord and God!

Next, we see the the beautiful patience of the risen Jesus. Thomas is also called “Didymus,” which means “the twin” in Greek. How often do we feel like “twins” of Thomas in our struggle to keep the faith? Jesus is patient with us, just as He was so patient with Thomas, approaching him not with words of condemnation, but with a greeting of peace. Jesus invites Thomas to have faith and helps him come to believe by putting on display his wounds for examination. Our Lord addresses both Thomas and his “twins” in inviting him and those who come to believe in the future to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

Finally, we see another plain invitation to come to believe and accept a life lived in gratitude for and reliance on the grace and peace of our God.

Thank you for reading. Peace.

Year C | 4/14/19 | Luke 22:14-23:56

~ eatthescroll ~ Leave a comment

Note: due to the length of today’s Gospel reading and limited time on my part, I will only provide a reflection on part of the reading.

When the hour came, he took his place at table with the apostles. He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it [again] until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I tell you [that] from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” Then he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.”

Luke 22:14-20 (NABRE)

Behold, the timeless institution narrative.

As we begin Holy Week, we are reminded of the first instance in which the bread and the wine of the Passover meal become for us the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Both the context and obviously the meaning of this celebration of profound mystery are paramount features of this passage.

Jesus gives us the Eucharist within the setting of a Passover meal on the day before he suffered death on a cross for the forgiveness of sins. This is important to note. Temporally, the age of the patriarchs and prophets is behind Him, and ahead of him is the time in which Jew and Gentile alike will adore Him and celebrate His Paschal Mystery until His return at the Parousia. The bread-and-wine offering of Melchizedek and the manna of the desert prefigure this moment. Jesus takes the bread and the wine and transforms them into the appearances under which He is present in totality so as to provide for His faithful a manner by which they may eat His flesh and drink His blood to have life within them (John 6:53). Jesus gives us Himself, the Bread of Life, to eat for our spiritual and physical nourishment. Recognizing our immense frailty and the fact that we are entirely incapable of loving God and our neighbor without working with His grace should motivate us to receive, in the Eucharist, the very God who draws us to Himself. What a mystery! As Catholics, we have such a great gift. We have a tremendous need for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. This sacrament, the Holy Eucharist, is an abundant source of such grace.

This passage also reminds us of our own call to be self-giving in our love for God and our neighbor. Are we not to learn from and apply in our lives the teachings and example of Jesus? In giving us Himself in the Eucharist, Jesus demonstrates how we ought to live for God and our neighbor. Love is expressed ― it does not merely reside within the confines of our hearts; rather, it motivates us to do something out of that love. Jesus so obviously gives Himself for others on the cross and in the Eucharist. He makes it clear that love involves a giving of oneself. Otherwise, it would not be love. Our culture, which is the product of the decisions of us individuals, needs to be more “eucharistic,” as it were. This is especially true in the realm of sexuality and romantic relationships. Perversions such as abuse, pornography, or shattered homes are an ugly result of a lack of self-giving. Practically, self-control, compassion, empathetic response, self-reflection, humility, mercy, recognition of and respect for the inestimable dignity and value of each person ― these things bring life and light and only build up the other. Take away these gifts of self and you get the heap of junk that we see today. It’s an accumulation of the bad decisions we make as individuals. It is so important to be reliant on God’s grace so that we may imitate Jesus Christ every day.

What a Savior! He died for our liberation and desires intimacy with us, so much so that He gives of Himself for us to eat so that He may remain in each of us and each of us in Him (John 6:56).

Thank you for reading. Peace.

Year C | 4/7/19 | John 8:1-11

~ eatthescroll ~ Leave a comment

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle.

They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”

John 8:1-11 (NABRE)

What did Jesus write on the ground?

Mercy is something we both give and receive. It can be rather difficult to do either, but without mercy, this would be a sad world.

This passage reads like a parable in a way. Jesus’ real-life interactions are teaching moments for us, too. Given this passage’s theme of mercy, it is especially interesting that it starts off with a brief note that before he came to the temple area, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. We are given no reason as to why he did this, and immediately after the trip is mentioned, the scene shifts. It is worth remembering that the Mount of Olives* is where Jesus experienced immense agony before his arrest and eventual death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. The inclusion of this note is fitting given what happens between Jesus and the woman caught in adultery.

To the scene at the temple area. The unmerciful scribes and Pharisees intend to take up stones with which to execute the adulterous woman. The refusal to forgive (or even to have the willingness to do so) opens chasms between people, and from a distant vantage point, we see that each of our grudges makes up a lot of the cracks that fragment society. Plainly speaking, to not be merciful, especially in close relationships, is to drive people apart. This also comes from a place of ingratitude. What does it say about us when we refuse to have a merciful outlook after we have received such an abundance of mercy from God? Our experiences of being forgiven both by God and our fellow man should challenge us to be merciful to others because we need forgiveness just like any other sinner! Out of joyful gratitude and an honest view of ourselves we should forgive.

Thank you for reading. Peace.

*A special thanks to the maps section of my copy of the Bible (The Catholic Study Bible, 3rd Edition) for helping me to clarify that the Garden of Gethsemane is located on the Mount of Olives.