When we look at today’s Gospel we can look at it in light of a similar story that is at the early part of the Gospels.

The men are fishing and catching nothing. Jesus calls them to put their nets in the water again and they make a great catch. This is similar to the first day that Jesus encounters Peter and the disciples. If there is a message here, it is on the mercy of God.

Let’s look more closely at both stories. The first time Jesus encounters the disciples, he gives them a sign: it is the full nets. This reveals to them that he is the Lord. After his resurrection he gives them the same sign, it is likewise the same message: It is I, the Lord.

Notice the parallels. The first thing that Peter says to Jesus is for Him to leave for he is a sinful man. Peter in this ending meeting has now encountered his sinfulness, he has denied the Lord, the Lord is fully aware of his sinfulness, but this time Peter instead of withdrawing from Jesus, He runs to Him. He runs to Him as nothing more than the man that Jesus knew that he was. Jesus knows him and accepts him despite his weakness and lack of courage. Peter is no longer afraid, and no longer allowing his sinfulness to distance himself from Jesus. He is instead coming to the Lord long after making the conscious decision to turn from sin and follow Jesus.

The Lord accepts him for having made this decision. We see him at dinner confront Peter three times if he loves Him and Peter sadly responds three times that yes as if Jesus doubted his love. Many scripture scholars tell us that the three questions are in response to the three times that Peter denied him. I fully agree, but I want to go farther.

We are also seeing a deeper sense of the new system of morality that Jesus introduces. He commands Peter that if he indeed loves Jesus, then he is to feed Jesus’ sheep which is his people. This is where Jesus calls Peter to put into action both his words and Jesus’ command. Jesus has moved Peter and our faith from a rules based system to a love based system. Now you may say that we have rules in Catholicism. Yes, but the basis for following the rules is love. Anytime the basis for following the rules is not love, you are not living Catholicism.

Every defense that one was following rules misses the point. Jesus is calling us to a different standard than that of the world which is based on rules. Despite the complaints against the Catholic Church as being rules based, the world is more rules based. Remember in this country someone killed another person and used as his defense that he ate a particular snack food that affected his judgement. These are the kind of things that happen in a rules based environment. You change or reintrepret the rules and you can justify anything.

Jesus leads Peter away from this and basically tells him that the standard for following the rules is what it has always been: love of God and love of neighbor.

“Do you love me, Peter?”
“Yes, Lord”
“Then love my people too.”

Look also that the person whom Jesus directs is also the person most weak who also repents. Judas was the weaker, but his pride got in the way and he could not repent. Peter is weak but humbled. It is he, who remains the agent of Jesus in this commission. This is a key point.

We are seeing the Church going through a tough time and yes it is true that institutions are following the teachings of those who call the enemies of Christianity to emulate the Devil and to attack the Church through its sins. Do remember that the most effective propaganda is that which is most true. (Note, it is not completely true, but there is some truth amidst the falsehood.)

This Church, however, with all its warts, is the Church that Christ appointed as its agent on Earth, for better or worse. You are part of that Church. Your response to your commission which happened at baptism is one of responding in love. We (yes we) need to grow in love of God and love of neighbor. Right now, we are going through a painful time of purification. Will we survive, yes, we have to, remember who else offers the words of eternal life like we do. No one.

What is at stake here: the salvation of souls, not so much yours as theirs, those who live elsewhere. This is something neither the media nor its associated political parties embrace. It is time for us to commit ourselves to be people of holiness. The holier we seek to be, the holier our leaders will become and vice versa.Remember, St. Paul calls us to live holy lives and St. Peter gives us a formula to do so. Let us be holy, pray for holiness and we do that by acknowledging our sinfulness, seeking daily conversion and praying to grow closer to Christ everyday.

You do not make yourself Holy, God makes you holy, pray for that daily. Holiness defines itself not in the person who people describe as devout, but in the person who is willing to put his life on the line for others in love. The holy person is the one who will deny himself for others and will seek to do God’s will as much as possible. This is just what Peter and the Apostles did and it is just what Jesus demands. For better or worse, we are the people that Jesus called to live his gospel, our call is to love Him and his people and we cannot do that unless we are holy people.

Fr. Robert J Carr

Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the New Song Community, the pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Somerville, MA and the editor of this blog.

Photo Credit all via BigStockPhoto.com

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