3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER (YEAR C)

1st Reading     Acts 5:27b-32.40b-41

Resp. Psalm    Ps. 30

2nd Reading   Rev. 5:11-14

Gospel             Jn. 21: 1-19

Hope amidst Looming despair

Dear Friends, today is the 3rd Sunday of Easter and the Word of God keeps us within the framework of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, particularly to his disciples. These appearances are in a bid to inspire hope and affirm in the hearts of the Disciples and believers that Jesus is truly risen.

In the Gospel, Jesus reveals himself to 7 of his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias: "Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples" (v. 2). It seem to suggest that these disciples were returning to their 'former way of life', their life prior to their call to discipleship. Hopelessness drives in us a sense of despair and makes us think that we are unredeemable, that the only way to restore hope is to return to our former lives, to our 'sinful past'. Two things will help our reflection this Sunday. First, the category of disciples mentioned and, Second, the names of the "two others of his [Jesus'] disciples" kept in oblivion.

Anyone who looks at the first five of the disciples will realise a particular trend. They are the very disciples who denied, doubted, and sought the unimaginable. They are discipleship who made mistakes, who had problems. Peter denied Jesus three times; Thomas, with his seemingly dual nature, doubted the resurrection of Jesus (Jn. 20: 24-29); Nathanael also doubted that good things can come from Nazareth (Jn. 1: 46); the Sons of Zebedee (James and John) were the very ones whose mother came seeking a favour from Jesus, that one sits at his right and the other at his left in his Kingdom (Mt. 20: 20-21). They were the very ones who told Jesus to command fire from heaven to consume (Lk. 9:54). It is to these that Jesus appeared again. This informs us that, although, we are at the verge of returning, of losing hope on account of our faults and mistakes, Christ reveals himself to us at the moments we find ourselves.

Secondly, that the names of the two other disciples were withheld sparks thought and reflection. If we are making argument for two pairs, then the probable disciples we will turn to would turn to would be Andrew, Simon Peter's Brother, both of whom were called at the same time and place (Matt. 4: 18-19) and Philip,the one who brought Nathanael to Jesus (John 1: 45-50). Either of these two will be one of the two. The Gospel today makes us aware that ' the disciple whom Jesus loved' was present (v. 7). This disciple is John. Therefore, either Andrew and John or Philip and John would be the two disciples. 

Nevertheless, we still can identify that even if we are unable to associate our current state of Christian life with 'the 5 problematic disciples' we still experience hope. Philip also had a myopic view when he thought that the impossible could not occur at the feeding of the multitude (Jn. 6: 5-7). Jesus, by his appearance, showed him the path of hope.

May the Resurrection of Christ give us hope in times where all we think about is despair. May we also learn and adhere to the command to cast our nets over the right side so that we may, in changing perspectives, come to discover hope.

God bless you.

Pax et Bonum.