Revisiting a Crossroads

My Dear Friends,

Our Easter theme is victory. Jesus Christ has conquered sin, suffering, even death and He invites us to share in His victory. Participating in the victory is another way to speak of redemption. Jesus redeems us, meaning that His perfect self-offering compensates for our failings. When we are made adopted sons and daughters of God our Father at our Baptism, Jesus treats us like brothers and sisters, sharing the inheritance with us. It is amazing to marvel at this free gift of grace and salvation. We are so blessed to have such a good and merciful Lord and brother.

Today, at the noon Mass, many of our young people will receive the holy Eucharist for the first time, participating in a new way, in the very life of our Lord. Jesus gives Himself so fully that He shares His very self with us and invites us to become one with Him. Often, I think back to that first time Jesus shared the Eucharist at the Last Supper, how the apostles were all gathered around, how Thomas, Andrew, James, John, Peter and the others, as well as some disciples for sure, participated in the first eucharistic meal. What would it have been like?

We would like to believe that this very first meal was the most outstanding, of the highest order, the absolute best. I think we often figure that the first moment would have been the most potent, with Jesus right there. But we also must remember other details: that after that meal, all the apostles except John, abandoned Jesus in His hour of greatest need. As we heard last week, Thomas needed to sort things out alone and came to a hard place where he would not believe unless he saw the nail marks and put his hand into our Lord’s side. It makes me shudder just to think of it, that offer from our Lord to oblige Thomas.

This Sunday, the Church places before us another episode of self-discovery and commitment, we might say recommitment. Seems Simon Peter wants to return to fishing. For all his strong and passionate fire, his courage and drive, even Peter had second thoughts, came to a place of doubt, and considered returning to his former life. Please pray over Luke 5:1-11 and John 21:1-19, reading them side-by-side, to explore the place Peter finds himself in our Gospel.

Peter retraces a familiar path, perhaps because he does not feel worthy to set out into the deep and be the rock, that strong leader on which the nascent church would be grounded. Maybe Peter keeps returning to his denials, when he said that he ‘did not know the man’ even after Jesus had shared so much, His very self, with Peter. As a charismatic leader, the other disciples are willing to follow Peter, so they join him in the boat. And after a night of catching nothing, the miracle of full nets arrives at Jesus’ invitation from the shore. And Jesus invites Peter, once again, to love Him and to feed the sheep.

Like Thomas’ experience last week, Peter’s experience resonates deeply with me. It touches the moment when we do not think we are capable or worthy, when we find ourselves lacking. And that is ok. We are. Jesus says ‘without me, you can do nothing,” (John 15:5), and “all things are possible with God” (Mt 19:26). So, this week we pray for the grace to share deeply in Christ’s victory and not to let our doubts or failings keep us from the road, and the invitation to follow.

On the path with you!
Fr. Joel