4th Sunday of Easter (C)

Inspire in Us the Practice of Good (2011-2013):

Sunday Reflections for Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

4th Sunday of Easter (C), April 21, 2013

Liturgical readings
Acts 13:14, 43-52
Psalm 100
Revelation 7:9, 14-17
John 10:27-30

"Jesus said: My sheep hear my voice."



Jesus said:


"My sheep
    hear my voice.


I know them
    and they follow me.


I give them eternal life
    and they shall never perish.


No one
    shall snatch them
    out of my hand.


My Father
    is greater than all,
        in what he has given me,
        and there is no snatching
        out of his hand.


The Father
and I
are one."


Points for reflection and prayer:
"Paul and Barnabas spoke at Antioch in Pisidia and urged the believers to hold fast to the grace of God." (Acts 13)
"God made us, His we are; His people, the flock He tends." (Psalm 100)
"These are the ones who have survived the great period of trial; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7)

3rd Sunday of Easter (C)

Inspire in Us the Practice of Good (2011-2013):

Sunday Reflections for Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

3rd Sunday of Easter (C), April 14, 2013

Liturgical readings
Acts 5:27-32, 40-41
Psalm 30
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19

"This marked the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples."



At the Sea of Tiberias


Jesus
    showed himself
        to the disciples once again.


This is how the appearance took place.


Assembled were
    Simon Peter
    Thomas ("the Twin"),
    Nathanael (from Cana in Galilee),
    Zebedee's sons,
    and two other disciples.


Simon Peter said to them,
"I'm going out to fish."


"We'll join you,"
they replied,
    and went off to get into their boat.


All through the night
they caught nothing.


Just after daybreak
Jesus
    was standing on the shore,
    though none of the disciples
    knew it was Jesus,


He said to them,
    "Children,
    have you caught anything to eat?"


"Not a thing,"
they answered.


"Cast your net off
to the starboard side,"
    he suggested,
"and you will find something."


So they made a cast
and took so many fish
they could not haul the net in.


Then the disciple Jesus loved
cried out to Peter,
    "It is the Lord!"


On hearing it was the Lord,
Simon Peter threw on some clothes
- he was stripped
- and jumped on to the water.


Meanwhile
the other disciples
came in the boat,
towing the net full of fish.


Actually
they were not far from land
- no more than a hundred yards.


When they landed,
they saw a charcoal fire there
with a fish laid on it
and some bread.


"Bring some of the fish
you just caught,"
    Jesus told them.


Simon Peter
went aboard
and hauled ashore
the net loaded with sizable fish
- one hundred fifty-three of them!


In spite of the great number,
the net was not torn.


"Come and eat your meal,"
    Jesus told them.



Not one of the disciples
presumed to inquire
    "Who are you?"
for they knew it was the Lord.


Jesus
came over,
took the bread
and gave it to them,
and did the same with the fish.


This marked the third time
that Jesus
appeared to the disciples
after being raised from the dead.


When they had eaten their meal,
Jesus said to Simon Peter,


"Simon, son of John,.
do you love me
more than these?"


"Yes, Lord,"
Peter said,
"you know that I love you."


At which Jesus said,
"Feed my lambs."


A second time
he put his question,


"Simon, son of John,.
do you love me?"


"Yes, Lord,".
Peter said,
"you know that I love you."


Jesus replied,
"Tend my sheep."


A third time
Jesus asked him,


"Simon, son of John,
do you love me?"


Peter was hurt
because he had asked a third time,
"Do you love me?"


So he said to him:
"Lord,
you know everything.
You know well that I love you."


Jesus told him,
"Feed my sheep".


"I tell you solemnly:


as a young man
you fastened your belt
and went about as you pleased;


but when you are older
you will stretch out your hands,
and another will tie you fast
and carry you off against your will."


(What he said
indicated the sort of death
by which Peter
was to glorify God.)


When Jesus had finished speaking
he said to him,


"Follow me."


Points for reflection and prayer:
"The God of our fathers has raised up Jesus whom you put to death." (Acts 5)
"O Lord, my God, forever will I give you thanks." (Psalm 30)
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and
strength, honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5)

2nd Sunday of Easter (C)

Inspire in Us the Practice of Good (2011-2013):

Sunday Reflections for Liturgical Years 2011 (A), 2012 (B), and 2013 (C)

2nd Sunday of Easter (C), April 7, 2013

Liturgical readings
Acts 5:12-16
Psalm 118
Revelation 1:9-11, 12-13, 17-19
John 20:19-31

"These [signs] have been recorded to help you believe that Jesus is the Messiah."



On the evening


of that first day of the week,
    even though the disciples had locked the doors
    of the place where they were
        for fear of the Jews,


Jesus
    came and stood
    before them,


"Peace be with you,"
    he said.


When he had said this,
    he showed them
    his hands and his side.


At the sight of the Lord
the disciples rejoiced.


"Peace be with you,"
    he said again.


"As the Father has sent me
so I send you."


Then


he breathed on them
    and said:


"Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive men's sins,
they are forgiven them;
if you hold them bound,
they are held bound."


It happened that one of the TWelve,
    Thomas
    (the name means "Twin"),
was absent
when Jesus came.


The other disciples
kept telling him:
    "We have seen the Lord!"


His answer was,
"I'll never believe it
without probing the nail-prints
in his hands,
without putting my finger
in the nail-marks
and my hand into his side."


A week later,


the disciples were once more
in the room,


and this time
    Thomas
    was with them.


Despite the locked doors,
Jesus
    came and stood
    before them,


"Peace be with you,"
    he said;


then,


to Thomas:


"Take your finger
    and examine my hands
Put your hand
    into my side.


Do not persist
in your unbelief,
    but believe!"


Thomas said in response,


"My Lord and my God!"


Jesus then said to him:


"You became a believer
because you saw me.
    Blest are they
        who have not seen
        and have believed."


Jesus performed
many other signs as well
    - signs not recorded here
    - in the presence of his disciples.


But these
have been recorded
to help you believe


that Jesus
is the Messiah,
the Son of God,


so that through this faith
you may have life
in his name.



Points for reflection and prayer:
"Through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders occurred among the people." (Acts 5)
"My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior." (Psalm 118)
"I saw seven lampstands of gold and among the lampstands One like a Son of Man." (Revelation 9)