THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
1 MAY 2022
We
have just heard this Gospel with our ears.
But the art in our church invites us to see the Gospel with our
eyes. On the left side of the triumphal
arch, we see the boat containing Peter and the other disciples on the Sea of
Tiberias. They had returned to their
profession of fishing. They had spent
three years with Jesus of Nazareth. Most
of them had run away when he was crucified.
Then they had experienced the risen Christ two times in the upper
room. Now, it seems that they have
decided to return to their former profession and carry on with their lives.
However,
they have not caught anything. The risen
Christ has other plans for them. He
tells them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. Even though they do not recognize him, they
obey him and catch so many fish that they cannot pull the net into the
boat. The beloved disciple recognizes
the risen Christ, and Peter swims to shore to meet him. We see the white smoke from the charcoal fire
on which Jesus has cooked the fish. He
feeds them breakfast and asks Peter three times if he loves him. The three questions remind Peter of another
charcoal fire. We see that fire with the
black smoke on the right side of the triumphal arch. Peter had sat at that fire in the courtyard
of the high priest’s house, because he had bragged at the Last Supper that he
would die with Jesus. But out of fear,
Peter denies knowing Jesus three times.
When the cock crows (also pictured), Peter realizes his sin and weeps
bitterly out of shame.
Jesus does
not ask the three questions to rub his sin of denial into his face. Instead, he asks the questions to indicate
that he knows Peter’s contrition and has completely forgiven him. Above the image of Saint Peter right behind
me, we see Jesus’ response: feed my
sheep. Jesus could have told Peter that
he had blown it. He could have given the
leadership to the Beloved Disciple, whom he loved more anyway. Instead, he sends Peter and the other
disciples on the mission to proclaim the Paschal Mystery to the entire world,
symbolized by 153 fish.
Jesus
continues to call human beings to serve as shepherds for his flock. He has called us priests, deacons,
catechists, and your parents to serve you, whom he loves as the beloved sheep
of his flock. Like Saint Peter, all of
us have failed. We have denied knowing
Jesus in our actions. We have admitted
our sins, and he continues to forgive us.
Just as Jesus reaffirms his love and trust in Peter, he does the same
with us. Your parents have provided for
all of your physical and emotional needs.
Now the Lord reminds them of their responsibility to provide for your
spiritual needs. They brought you to the
waters of baptism. They promised to
raise you in the practice of the faith.
Now, they bring you to receive your First Holy Communion.
Boys and
girls, just as Jesus feeds Peter and his disciples on the shore of the Sea of
Tiberias, he feeds you with his own Body and Blood for the first time
today. As you are fed by the Eucharist
in the next few years, the Lord will continue to form you more completely into
your true identity: baptized members of
the Body of Christ. He will also commission
you to do what he commissioned Peter and the disciples to do: to spread the Good News to everyone you
encounter. When Jesus instructed the
waiters at the wedding feast of Cana to fill the water jars with water. They followed his instructions and received a
huge abundance of wine. Peter and the
disciples also do what Jesus told them to do.
They haul in a huge catch of fish.
Fed by the Eucharist and doing what Jesus tells you to do, you can
expect the same abundance in your life.
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