3rd Sunday of Easter (C)

(Edited) Sunday Reflections (from) 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."

If you read the gospel of John, beginning at chapter 20:11, you will find two resurrection appearances of Jesus:

• first, to Mary of Magdala in the tomb area (John 20:11-18);
• and second, to the disciples and Thomas in the upper room (termed the cenacle) (John 20:24-29).

This Sunday's gospel presents a third resurrection appearance. In this resurrection story, Jesus appeared to Peter and to six other disciples. A miracle was performed in this third instance. The miracle involved a sizable amount of big fish (a total of 153, cf. John 21:11) that Peter and his companions caught with great surprise. For when Jesus realized they were having difficulty fishing all night long, and still coming empty-handed, He told them to cast their nets towards the right side of their boat. As the fishermen obeyed, they hauled in a big catch. They then set the boat towards shore and shared a part of this hauled catch with Jesus. It is in this instance that Jesus spoke with Peter again. He reinstated Peter in his role as leader of the nascent Christian community by testing Peter's commitment to love Him and take care of His flock of followers.

Jerome Neyrey, in his book, "The Resurrection Stories", confirms that the three "question-answer" form found in this Sunday's gospel, is intended to offset the triple denial of Peter (cf. John 13:38, 18:27). Remember that Peter denied Jesus three times when people noticed him as one of His followers after the arrest of Jesus. After those three denials, the cock crowed as prophesied by Jesus. Author Jerome Neyrey also adds that this resurrection appearance-event is an example of how a significant person in the early church traditionally describes the followers of Jesus by recalling their former sins. Thus, Simon Peter, who was restored as the shepherd of Jesus' flock, is always remembered as the apostle who denied the Lord three times. Jerome Neyrey also notes that Matthew is remembered as the former tax collector; Mary of Magdala as one whom Jesus drove out seven demons; and Paul as a former persecutor of the Church.

The Lord Jesus did not intend to call perfect men and women to follow Him in building God's Kingdom. Instead, he chose ordinary people, and sinners as well. The Church in our own time does not also call perfect men and women. God calls in the same way as Jesus does: He invites ordinary folks and repentant sinners to return or be baptized in the Church. When sinners return to the fold of the Church, the Church restores their place again in God's Household - a Household where both the prodigal sons and daughters, as well as jealous and righteous "elder brothers", are welcome, and are both treated as sons by the Father. So there is hope. There is a sure way back to God. And God-in-Jesus takes the initiative - as exemplified in today's Gospel by appearing to Simon Peter. In the same way, the presence of the Risen Lord in the Eucharist does not hesistate to re-enter the lives of His sons and daughters again. The Risen Lord in the Eucharist calls all to renew their commitment to God in their baptismal consecration. When Jesus re-enters peoples' lives and opens again the door to His Kingdom, let all hearts be ready to renew their baptismal consecration.

Scripture quotes:

• "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)

Reference: The Resurrection Stories by Jerome H. Neyrey

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2nd Sunday of Easter (C)

(Edited) Sunday Reflections (from) 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."

After the death of Jesus, the disciples had locked the doors were they were staying - for fear of the Jews. But it did not take long until Jesus made His appearance before them - despite the locked doors. Now that they had seen the Risen Lord before their eyes after witnessing His death on the Cross, the disciples rejoiced in their hearts. But Thomas was not with the Twelve when the Lord made this first resurrected appearance. And so when Thomas returned to the community and learned about the event, he was skeptical - even when his companions attested that they had seen the Lord. Soon, as Jesus made another resurrection appearance, Thomas was with the community. Jesus cleared the doubts of Thomas by permitting him to examine His nail-marks and the wound on His side. Thomas' response of faith was: "My Lord and my God!"

This gospel narrative can teach that faith can be expressed both at the communitarian and personal levels. When the disciples as an apostolic community, saw their Risen Master, they exclaimed to Thomas: "We have seen the Lord!" Their faith-response was one on the level of community. They witnessed the same event, and shared the faith of seeing Jesus as a community. But Thomas, though he was also a member of that community, was called to a personal faith-response. What was unbelief in Thomas' heart because of his absence in a community-faith-event, was transformed into a fervent and personal faith-encounter with Jesus, when he himself saw his Master and personally believed with his own eyes. Only Thomas among the Twelve made the confession of faith: "My Lord and my God!" And the personal faith-response of Thomas is now rooted in the communal-faith-response of his companions.

Each believer in the faith community shares in common a baptismal faith that all express together in the Eucharist. Everyone in the Mass responds with the same prayers: the Confiteor, the Apostles' Creed, the Our Father, and other communal prayer responses. But the Lord in the Eucharistic celebration also calls each one to have a personal faith-encounter with Him in the Sacrament. And this personal faith-encounter is based from each person's unique lived experiences - faith-lived experiences in one's respective educational background, professional or work experience, specific obligation in marriage and/or family life, and the personal healing one needs in life. Any spiritual healing needed from doubt or lack of faith that one prays for in the Eucharist can give birth to a faith-response that is both personal and communitarian ("Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.")

Scripture verses

• "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)

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Commemoration of Saints (April 26)

Solemnities, Feasts, Obligatory and Optional Memorials, and Traditional Dates of Commemoration

• Our Lady of Good Counsel
• Cletus (Anacletus), pope
• Richarius, abbot
• Marguerite d'Youville [1]
• Peter of Braga, bishop
• Paschasius Radbertus, abbot
• Franca of Piacenza, virgin and abbess
• Stephen of Perm, bishop [2]

Today, April 26, the Catholic Church commemorates the feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel. It also commemorates 1 pope, 2 abbots, 2 bishops, 1 foundress, and 1 virgin and abbess.

The story about Our Lady of Good Counsel began in the year 1467 A.D. When a local church was in dire need of repair, the widow in charge for the project of restoration discovered that she was running out of funds. When the feast of St. Mark began, heavenly music was heard by the townsfolk. A mysterious cloud descended on the unfinished wall of the parish church. When the cloud disappeared, a beautiful fresco of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus was revealed. It was no more than 18 inches square. Many believed that it was transported miraculously from Scutari, Albania, before the Ottomans invaded the country.

The Augustinian Order spread the devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel. Then in 1753 A.D., Pope Benedict XIV established the Pious Union of Our Lady of Good Counsel. On 22 April 1903 A.D., Pope Leo XIII included the invocation "Mater boni consilii" in the Litany of Loreto. In 1939 A.D., Pope Pius XII placed his papacy under the maternal care of Our Lady of Good Counsel.

The feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel is commemorated every 26 April so that it does not conflict with the commemoration of St. Mark on 25 April [3].

Prayer of Pope Pius XII to Our Lady of Good Counsel

Holy Virgin, moved by the painful uncertainty we experience in seeking and acquiring the true and the good, we cast ourselves at thy feet and invoke thee under the sweet title of Mother of Good Counsel. We beseech thee: come to our aid at this moment in our worldly sojourn when the double darkness of error and of evil plot our ruin by leading minds and hearts astray. Seat of Wisdom and Star of the Sea, enlighten the victims of doubt and of error so that they may not be seduced by evil masquerading as good; strengthen them against the hostile and corrupting forces of passion and of sin. Mother of Good Counsel, obtain for us our most urgent need….. (here mention your request) and secure for us from thy Divine Son the love of virtue and the strength to choose, in doubtful and difficult situations, the course agreeable to our salvation. Supported by thy hand we shall thus journey without harm along the paths taught us by the word and example of Jesus our Savior, following the Sun of Truth and Justice in freedom and safety across the battlefield of life under the guidance of thy maternal Star, until we come at length to the harbor of salvation to enjoy with thee unalloyed and everlasting peace. Amen [4].

What does it mean to have faith in God and to be faithful to the Catholic Church's mission for the 7 Saints commemorated today?

• For St. Cletus (d. ca. 91 A.D.), it meant to succeed St. Peter as the second pope and to also suffer martyrdom like Christ.
• For St. Richarius (d. ca. 645 A.D.), it meant founding an abbey at Celles, becoming its abbot, and then upon reaching old age, resigned to spend the rest of his life as a hermit on the spot where a monastery was also built [5].
• For St. Marguerite d'Youville (1701-1771 A.D.), it meant founding the Sisters of Charity of the General Hopital for the care of the poor, the sick, and aged women in Montreal [6].
• For St. Peter of Braga (d. ca. 350 A.D.), it meant suffering martyrdom after he baptized and cured the local ruler of Braga's daughter from leprosy.
• For St. Paschasius Radbertus (d. ca. 860 A.D.), it meant becoming a monk at Corbie, serving as master of novices, and leading Corbie as abbot for seven years.
• For St. Franca of Piacenza (1170-1218 A.D.), it meant becoming abbess first at St. Syrus Convent and then being ousted for the strictness of her rule. She then became abbess of Montelana convent which she served under the Cistercian rule.
• For St. Stephen of Perm (d. ca. 1396 A.D.), it meant becoming a monk at Rostov, Russia, and then engaging in missionary work among the Zyriane southwest of the Urals. He used his intelligence to translate the liturgy and part of the Bible into Zyriane - inventing an alphabet to do so - before being appointed first bishop of Perm [5].

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References: Books, Websites, Search results & AI Overviews

• [1] search query saints with feast days on april 26, Search Labs | AI Overview, Google.com
• [2] Pocket Catholic Dictionary, John A. Hardon, p. 494
• [3] Our Lady of Good Counsel, En.Wikipedia.org
• [4] Struggling with a decision? Try this prayer, Aleteia.org
• [5] Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
• [6] Lives of the Saints, Richard P. McBrien