4th Sunday of Easter
Not only can we recognize family members’ voices, we can also read the tone of their voices and know something about how they are feeling. In our relationship with Jesus, we know Jesus’ voice and are called to follow. Jesus doesn’t just bring us closer to the Father, Jesus puts us directly into contact with God the Father, removing all distance between us. In the Gospel of John, Jesus identifies so closely with the Father that he tells us that they are one—not just close, but actually one. Knowing Jesus means knowing the Father.
~Loyola Press
Taken from the Facebook page of Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary – Holy Name Church
In the first reading, Peter and the disciples are chastised for proclaiming Jesus. In the Gospel, Peter jumps into the sea with his clothes on and is asked three times if he loves Jesus. It’s okay for us to be an image of both these moments in Peter’s life: sometimes we are lost and Jesus leads us back to faith, while other times we are ready to proclaim boldly what God has done for us. The truth is we are witnesses to a resurrected life in both our confusion and our sure faith. Both moments are part of the story of how God works in the world. When the next season of suffering and confusion finds us, it is helpful for us to remember that God has led us through the wilderness before, and the end of God’s story is Resurrection.
The Resurrected Lord comes to His Apostles. They are to be witnesses of His resurrection. To share this kerygma with all, they must be empowered by His Holy Spirit. We too are called to testify that Jesus is alive. Veni Sancte Spiritus.
On the Day the Lord rose from the grave, He appeared to the Apostles and breathed on them, bestowing His Spirit. As we rejoice, let us ask for a greater infilling of the Holy Spirit. Veni Sancte Spiritus.
“Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth