Readings for May 3-4, Third Sunday of Easter
By Fr. Edward Looney | For On Mission
There the apostles were, fishing on the sea, and Jesus came to them. They don’t recognize him. If you ask one of the first-graders at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Shawano, she will tell you that Jesus must have been wearing sunglasses.
Peter was the first one to truly recognize the Lord previously, when he declared him to be Lord and Messiah and, in return, received the keys to the kingdom, becoming the head of the apostles.
Even though Peter knew Jesus, he needed someone else to point him out at this precise moment. It was John who declared, “It is the Lord.”
As we live our Christian lives, sometimes we need someone who is like John to us, someone who can point out to us the Lord’s path. Often, we turn to a priest or a consecrated religious for this purpose. Or maybe a good friend of yours is a person who loves the Lord very much, prays often, and you consider their counsel and advice sound. It’s important to have a prayerful and listening ear who can guide us at significant moments.
At times, we might wonder, “Where is God?,” and someone in our life points out where God is in that moment. If you are prayerfully discerning your next move, having a John to listen to you and offer guidance can truly be helpful.
I am sure that the apostles kept talking about the events in today’s Gospel for days, weeks and years to come. St. Peter would need someone in the future to remind him that his denial of Jesus was corrected by his renewal of love on that seashore.
When doubt and despair creep in, the voice of a trusted companion can help renew one’s faith and hope. They probably kept talking about the miraculous catch of fish, renewing their sense of awe. With the events of the Passion, death, resurrection and future ascension of Jesus, the apostles needed each other to talk with and process all the events that had taken place.
For the people who have previously pointed out the movement of God in your life and for those who will do so in the future, we are truly grateful for the inspired words they have spoken.
And just as you have been a recipient of someone’s guidance, you might be that person for someone else in your life.
Fr. Edward Looney serves as the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Shawano and priest celebrant at St. Martin of Tours Parish, Cecil. He hosts the podcast “Hey Everybody! It’s Fr. Edward.”
The readings for Sunday, May 4, can be found at Third Sunday of Easter | USCCB