Pascha III

The Third Sunday of Easter

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

When we reject something, we also implicitly choose for something?

We were asked on Easter Sunday, “Do you reject sin?”

We all said, “I do.” But what did that rejection mean we were affirming? The question continues, “so as to live in the freedom of God’s children.” But what does it mean “to live in the freedom of God’s children”? In our culture the concept of ‘freedom’ is such a politically loaded and often self-indulgent word. Are the two ‘freedoms’ the same?

“To live in the freedom of God’s children” is not the freedom to do anything we want [and that bristles against the American psyche] but rather the freedom of God’s children to always choose for the good, to always speak truth, to always work toward the best for others, what we call the ‘common good’ in Catholic Social Teaching. Such freedom may entail a price such as self-imposed restrictions, obedience to another’s authority, or renunciation of even a good for a higher good.

When the apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin, it was because they made such a free choice. They rejected the strict orders they were given not to teach in the name of Jesus. Why? Because they must obey God rather than human beings. Their rejection of the orders not to teach in the name of Jesus was an affirmation of Jesus’s order to go out into the whole world and proclaim the good news of salvation.

How do we Christians live in a culture where the concept of ‘political freedom’ often means something that borders on opposition to what ‘freedom in Christ’ means?

Like the apostles, what price have you and I paid for our choice to reject sin and live in the freedom of God’s children?

We were asked on Easter Sunday,“Do you reject the lure – the attraction, the appeal – of evil?”

Have we ever considered that evil appears in the guise of the good and beautiful? Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden: “The woman saw that the tree was…pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable.” If evil is beautiful and can seduce us away from God, how can you tell the difference between the beauty of God and the beauty of evil?

Once upon a time there was a monk traveling down a road who had a beautiful pearl in his sack. At the same time a man in the village the monk was heading toward dreamt of a monk who had a pearl in his sack. When the man awoke from sleep, he felt he should have that pearl and went in search of the monk.  Finding the monk, the man said, “Give me the pearl.”

The monk took the pearl from his sack and gave it to the man who snatched it and ran home. There he locked his door, pulled down the shades and sat staring at the pearl on the shelf. As he stared the man became more and more restless until he couldn’t stand it no longer.

The man took the pearl and finding the traveling monk said. “Take the pearl back, I don’t want it.” The monk asked, “Well then, what do you want?” The man said, “I want the freedom that gave you the ability to give the pearl away!”

That is the freedom of God’s children!

The beauty of God invites us to engage with it but not to possess it so as to freely share it with others. The enticing beauty of evil causes us to grasp for what we desire; to possess whatever we are attracted to. And then once we have possession of what we desire, we become restless because what we think we desire does not and cannot satisfy.

That’s the difference between the beauty of God and the beauty of evil.

On Easter Sunday we were asked, “Do you believe in God?”

In Bernstein’s theatre piece, MASS, a soloist sings:

I believe in God, but does God believe in me?

I believe in one God, but then I’ll believe in three.

I’ll believe in twenty gods if they’ll believe in me.

This theological question turns the Baptismal question on its head, does it not? Is belief a one–way or two–way street? Do you believe that God believes in you?

The triple questioning of Simon by Jesus is always interpreted as making up for Peter’s three denials but there is more to the scene.

Despite his clumsy, fearful, faltering denials, Simon Peter does truly love Jesus. And Jesus knows that so deeply because Jesus believes in Peter. We may miss that in the conversation. For with each declaration of Peter’s love, Jesus gives him responsibilities despite his weaknesses and failures. I believe in you Peter: “Feed my lambs.” “Tend my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.”

Despite our weaknesses, sins and continued denials of Christ, what has Jesus asked of you and me that confirms Jesus believes in us? Have we matured in the spiritual life to be able to say: “I must obey God rather than human beings”. “I want the freedom that gave you the ability to give the pearl away!”

The renewal of our Baptismal Promises, which entail rejections and affirmations, defines who we are. When we reject something, what are we choosing? When we choose something what are we rejecting?

The very last words of Jesus today, spoken to Simon Peter are for all of us. They sum up in a very clear and brief manner our Baptismal Promises: “Follow me.”