JOHN 21:1-19
MY GRANDFATHER AND
GRANDMOTHER NEVER HAD MUCH MONEY. THEY NEVER OWNED A HOUSE, ALWAYS
RENTED; AND NEVER HAD A NEW CAR. PART OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT MY
GRANDFATHER HAD ONLY GOTTEN THROUGH THE FOURTH GRADE, AND YET WAS
VERY INSISTENT THAT MY GRANDMOTHER NEVER WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME. SO
THEY WENT THROUGH LIFE, RAISING TWO CHILDREN, LIVING FROM PAYCHECK TO
PAYCHECK, AND WERE VERY HAPPY WHEN THEY WERE FINALLY ELIGIBLE FOR
SOCIAL SECURITY, WHICH AMOUNTED TO MORE THAN MY GRANDFATHER HAD EVER
MADE WORKING. THAT, OF COURSE WAS A LONG TIME AGO.
ONE THING I REMEMBER
ABOUT MY GRANDFATHER IS THAT HE SEEMED TO HAVE HAD MANY
OPPORTUNITIES. HE WOULD POINT OUT THE LOCAL DRIVE IN RESTAURANT,
WHICH WAS A THRIVING BUSINESS, AND TELL US THE OWNER HAD WANTED HIM
TO BE A PARTNER WHEN HE STARTED OUT. THERE WAS A CAR DEALERSHIP –
SAME THING. HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR. AND THERE
WERE MANY OTHER MISSED OPPORTUNITIES HE WOULD POINT OUT TO US. I
THINK THE THING WAS THAT HE HAD BEEN EXTREMELY POOR GROWING UP; HE
HAD GONE THROUGH THE GREAT DEPRESSION BARELY ABLE TO KEEP HIS FAMILY
FED, AND HE VALUED SECURITY MORE THAN ANYTHING. WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD
HAVE HAPPENED HAD HE STEPPED OUT AND TAKEN A CHANCE?
THE APOSTLES WERE TOLD BY
JESUS TO MEET HIM IN GALILEE, AND THEY ARE WAITING THERE. APPARENTLY
TIME HAS PASSED AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. AT THAT POINT, PETER
DECIDES TO DO WHAT HE DOES BEST, GO FISHING. HAS HE FORGOTTEN THAT
JESUS HAD TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS THE ROCK ON WHICH HIS CHURCH WOULD BE
BUILT? HAS HE FORGOTTEN THAT JESUS HAD SAID, “AS THE FATHER HAS
SENT ME, SO I SEND YOU?” NOT REALLY, I'M SURE. BUT PETER DIDN'T
KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND UNLIKE MY GRANDFATHER, PETER STEPPED OUT.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE STORY
OF SAINT FRANCIS? JESUS APPEARED TO HIM IN A DREAM AND TOLD HIM TO
REBUILD HIS CHURCH. SAINT FRANCIS STEPPED OUT, AND BEGAN REBUILDING
THE OLD RUINED CHURCH AT THE EDGE OF TOWN. AND I APPRECIATE THE
STORY OF THERESA OF AVILLA, WHO WHEN SHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL, TALKED
HER BROTHER RODRIGO INTO RUNNING OFF WITH HER TO THE CRUSADES, SO
THAT THEY COULD BE MARTYRS AND GO TO HEAVEN. SHE DIDN'T GET VERY
FAR, BUT SHE DID STEP OUT.
PETER STEPPED OUT AND
FISHED. HE DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING. HE FISHED ALL NIGHT AND
CAUGHT NOTHING. BUT WHEN HE HAD DONE HIS UTMOST, WHEN THE NIGHT WAS
OVER AND HE WAS EXHAUSTED, JESUS TOLD HIM TO THROW HIS NET TO THE
OTHER SIDE. AND JOHN, ALSO A FISHERMAN, TELLS US THAT THEY CAUGHT
153 LARGE FISH – REMARKABLE IN ITSELF, BUT EVEN MORE REMARKABLE TO
JOHN WAS THAT THE NET DID NOT BREAK.
IT IS AT THAT POINT THAT
JESUS SITS DOWN WITH PETER. “DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE,” HE
SAYS. PETER, WHO IS STILL SMARTING FROM HAVING DENIED JESUS AFTER
SWEARING HE NEVER WOULD DO SUCH A THING, HAS LEARNED HUMILITY. “YOU
KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU,” HE REPLIES, NOT WISHING TO COMPARE HIS LOVE
TO THE LOVE OF THE OTHER APOSTLES. A SECOND TIME, AND A THIRD TIME,
JESUS ASKS, AND PETER REPLIES. AND EACH TIME, JESUS SAYS IN EFFECT,
TAKE CARE OF MY FLOCK, FEED THEM, WATCH OUT FOR THEM, PAY ATTENTION
TO THE LITTLE ONES AS WELL AS THE BIG ONES. BECAUSE IF YOU LOVE ME,
YOU WILL ACCEPT THIS CHARGE.
DO YOU EVER HAVE MOMENTS
WHEN YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE FOR YOUR LORD? I BELIEVE THAT WE ALL
HAVE THOSE MOMENTS. I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE AFTER ALL, THAT'S WHAT
THE GRACE OF CONFIRMATION IS ALL ABOUT. THIS IS THE GRACE THAT CALLS
US TO STEP OUT, TO BE STRONG, TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR CHURCH.
IF WE HAVE RECEIVED THAT GRACE, IT OPERATES IN US. BUT MOST OF US
CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT, AND BECAUSE OF THAT WE NEVER ENTER INTO THE
WONDERFUL ADVENTURE THAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR US. WHEN YOU READ THE
LIVES OF THE SAINTS, YOU READ ABOUT MARTYRS, HERMITS, PEOPLE WHO SAT
ON PILLARS ALL THEIR LIVES – NOT ALWAYS VERY ATTRACTIVE; BUT YOU
ALSO READ ABOUT PEOPLE WHO WERE CAUGHT UP IN THE ADVENTURE THAT GOD
CHOSE FOR THEM. THOMAS MORE COULD JOKE WITH THE MAN WHO WAS ABOUT TO
CUT OFF HIS HEAD; HE KNEW HIS ADVENTURE WOULD CONTINUE, AND DEATH
COULDN'T STOP IT. FRANCIS XAVIER LEFT HOME AND FRIENDS AND WAS
REWARDED BY GREAT SUCCESS IN HIS MISSION TO INDIA AND LATER, JAPAN;
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE BECAME CHRISTIAN. AND THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING
TO PETER. HE HAS STEPPED OUT, HE HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT NOTHING CAN BE
ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT JESUS; AND NOW HE IS BEING PUT IN CHARGE OF
JESUS' CHURCH – ALL BECAUSE HE MADE THAT FIRST TENTATIVE MOVE.
I THINK THAT'S THE WAY
GOD WORKS IN OUR LIVES. WE CAN PRAY AND WISH, AND WAIT FOR
ENLIGHTENMENT; WE CAN PUT OFF OUR COMMITMENT UNTIL THE TIME FINALLY
IS RIGHT – AFTER THE KIDS GET THROUGH SCHOOL, AFTER I GET MY
PROMOTION, AFTER WE GET THE MORTGAGE PAID OFF – BUT JESUS WILL WAIT
PATIENTLY UNTIL WE STEP OUT. IF WE ARE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION,
HE WILL TURN US IN THE RIGHT ONE, AS HE DID FOR SAINT FRANCIS. IF WE
START WITH SOMETHING SMALL, HE WILL MAKE IT BIGGER AND BIGGER, AS HE
DID WITH SAINT PETER AND SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER. AND AS WE BEGIN
GIVING A LITTLE BIT, AND ALLOWING HIM TO WORK IN US, WE WILL FIND
THAT WE ARE RIGHT WHERE WE SHOULD BE, SO THAT LIKE THOMAS MORE, EVEN
DEATH WON'T BOTHER US.
JESUS DIDN'T PROMISE
PETER POWER OR FAME OR WEALTH OR PLEASURE. IN FACT, HE PROMISED
PETER THAT IN THE END, SOMEONE ELSE WOULD LEAD HIM WHERE HE DID NOT
WANT TO GO. AND THAT WILL HAPPEN TO ALL OF US, SOONER OR LATER.
JUST VISIT A NURSING HOME ONE OF THESE DAYS. BUT EVEN THAT'S PART OF
THE ADVENTURE, BECAUSE WHAT JESUS WANTS FOR US IS TO SHARE IN HIS
LIFE – NOT HIS EARTHLY LIFE, BUT HIS LIFE AFTER RESURRECTION, HIS
ETERNAL LIFE IN THE HEART OF THE TRINITY. AND TO GET THERE, IN SOME
WAY OR ANOTHER, WE HAVE TO EXPERIENCE HELPLESSNESS, WE HAVE TO BE
CRUCIFIED, WE HAVE TO BE EMPTIED OUT, SO THAT CHRIST CAN FILL US UP.
SO WHAT DOES OUR GOSPEL
TELL US TODAY? JESUS STEPS IN WHEN WE STEP OUT. JESUS MAGNIFIES OUR
EFFORTS WHEN WE OBEY HIM. WHEN WE GIVE A LITTLE FOR JESUS, HE OFFERS
US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE – AND IN THE END, NO MATTER WHAT
HAPPENS IN OUR LIVES, HE PROMISES US THAT ALL WILL BE WELL, AS LONG
AS WE PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE LAST WORDS WE HEAR IN TODAY'S GOSPEL –
FOLLOW ME!
