DETAILED HOMILY FOR THE 3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR C
THEME: PETER’S REHABILITATION
BY: Rev Fr Gerald Muoka_
(frgeraldmuoka@yahoo.com)
HOMILY FOR SUNDAY MAY 1 2022
R1 – Acts 5:27-32,40-41
R2 – Rev 5:11-14
GOSPEL – John 21:1-19
A certain preacher once began a powerful sermon on the need for man to recognise his unfading value and worth in the sight of God by holding up a #1000 old note and a #100 mint note. He asked the audience to make a choice between the old #1000 note and the #100 mint note. They all chanted, “We prefer the old #1000 note. He proceeded to rumble the #1000 note. He then asked, “Which one do you still prefer?” They all chanted with one accord, “We want the #1000 note. He dropped it to the floor and proceeded to grind it with his shoe. He picked it up, crumpled and dirty. “Now which of them do you still want?” They all insisted, “We want the #1000 note.” One of them raised her hand up and retorted, “The #1000 note does not lose it’s value; not even the rumpling and the grinding can reduce its value. Please, give us the old 1000 note.”
Beloved in Christ, the readings of this Sunday’s liturgy give us the assurance that we cannot lose our value and worth, even when we have been rumpled, ground, soiled or foiled by sin; because God is always in search of man, even when man tries to evade Him. These readings equally remind us that despite our disappointments, flaws, denials, betrayals and abandonments of God, he is still willing to rehabilitate us and make us his own once again.
The first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, describes how the Holy Spirit transformed Peter, who was appointed by Jesus to be the head of his Church, from a weakling who could not even withstand an interrogation of a little girl to an ardent witness of the Resurrection. Peter stands before the Jewish Supreme Court the Sanhedrin, boldly proclaiming that he and the others must obey God rather than men.
The Gospel reading presents us the rehabilitation of Peter proper; who denied Jesus three times in the courtyard of Caiaphas, repented, and then received Primacy in the Church from Jesus. We equally see how our merciful Savior Who goes in search of the apostles, who could be regarded as a breed of disappointment, denial and betrayal.
In the first part of today’s Gospel, the risen Jesus appears to His disciples and gives them a symbol of their mission in a miraculous catch of fish followed by a grilled fish breakfast prepared by Jesus himself. The second part is a dialogue between Jesus and Simon where Simon is asked three times whether he loves Jesus, and he answers that he does, as if in reparation for his triple denial of Jesus. According to Fr K. Anthony, the two metaphors used in the story, namely fishing and shepherding, are the duties of the Church in her missionary work. Peter, as a forgiven sinner, is chosen for the quality of his love to serve as leader in a community of brothers and sisters. As his primary mission, Peter is given the care of the vulnerable lambs and sheep, and he is told that fidelity to this mission will lead him to martyrdom.
*GOD OF REHABILITATION*
The noun ‘rehabilitation’ comes from the Latin prefix re-, meaning “again” and habitare, meaning “make fit.” Rehabilitation simply means, “to make fit again.” When something falls in to disrepair and needs to be restored to a better condition, it needs rehabilitation.
The entire bible is replete with God’s incessant quest to make His people fit again after every fall. The Genesis story of the fall of Adam and Eve recalls how God, instead of bringing creation to an end when man sinned as he ought to (Gen 2:17), He rather got them rehabilitated.
Peter’s rehabilitation (process of being made fit again) reminds us that God is always ready to make us fit again and again. God uses the Holy Spirit to make us fit again; because it is the Spirit that bends that which is stubborn in us by helping us in out weaknesses (ROM 8:26).
In Acts 9:1-13, the scripture equally tells us how the Risen Lord transformed the life of Saul by pushing him down onto the Damascus Road and making him temporarily blind. He was rehabilitated (made fit again).The power of the Holy Spirit was equally instrumental in Saul’s rehabilitation as he received him baptism (Acts 9:18).
Every child of God should be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit for our own rehabilitation. The Holy Spirit in today’s first reading transformed Peter into a fearless vessel of the Gospel.
_*LIFE MESSAGES*_
(1) *CUT OFF FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING*
Jesus’ word, “cut off from me you can do nothing (Jn 15:5),” became a reality in the life of the apostles in today’s gospel pericope. They toiled all night in vain in the absence of master Jesus. But Jesus’ presence yielded great increase. The same thing is applicable to all of us who struggle on our own power, while relegating God to the background.
Sometimes, we christians, like the apostles who went back to their fishing nets after the tragic episode of the passion, are sometimes to lose hope and grip in God. Our temptation maybe to get back to our old selves and way of life, cut off from those who might threaten our convictions, to dream of times gone by when faith was taken for granted and the Church ruled supreme. Never cut off from Christ, our only source of vitality and illumination. Jesus is all you need.
(2) *OUR GOD IS STILL IN THE REHABILITATION BUSINESS.*
Peter’s rehabilitation assures and reminds us that our God is ever ready and willing to rehabilitate us and restore us to our valued and esteemed state. We worth more and nothing, not even stains of sin or rot of betrayal and denial could depreciate our value in God’s sight.
Many times in our lives, we feel crumpled and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. No matter what has happened to us, however, we never lose our value in God’s eyes. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we are, but from Him to whom we belong! We are special… Do not forget it!
Finally, there was once the only survivor of a shipwreck, who washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger. “God, how could you do this to me?” he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers. “We saw your smoke signal,” they replied. “GOD works mysteriously.” He knows exactly what we need. And because God loves us so much, He said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Beloved, Jesus assured his apostles,
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” He equally speaks to you today, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” May we Trust in Him, who alone recognises and restores our lost hope, worth and value.
*BENEDICTION:*
MAY THE RISEN LORD ALWAYS BE BY US TO ASSIST US IN OUR MOMENTS OF DESPAIR AND HOPELESSNESS AND MAY HE RESTORE OUR LOST HOPE, VALUE AND WORTH IN HIS SIGHT. AMEN.
*GOD BLESS YOU!*
*HAPPY SUNDAY!*
_FR GERALD MUOKA._