DAILY HOMILIES #Peter

When Peter and the other apostles gave up their doubts (about Jesus’ resurrection), they became completely different persons; they were no longer afraid of anybody. Even the chief priests and religious leaders became scared of them. They wondered how “uneducated, common men” could be so bold and powerful (even performing miracles). No wonder St. Paul said timidity is not a gift of the Holy Spirit.

We often dismiss events as coincidence due to our inability to read the handwriting of God in our lives. It wasn’t just a coincidence; God used this experience to remind Peter that he had been ordained to catch men and no longer to catch fish.

Peter prayed in the name of Jesus Christ because he believed in the resurrection. Peter knew that Jesus Christ was fully alive and that Jesus was right there with him. When Peter saw the lame man begging at the beautiful gate, he remembered Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead and freed many of their predicament. Peter knew what Jesus would have done upon seeing the lame man at the beautiful gate.

In their frustration, the two disciples met Jesus on the way but could not recognise him. They complained: “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:21). In other words, they were hoping that Jesus would overthrow the Roman authorities (their colonial masters) and become King of Israel. Jesus said to them: “O foolish men…” Why did Jesus call them foolish?

fter listening to Peter, the crowd asked: “What are we to do?” This crowd remains a model of how we listen to God’s Words. They did not ask Peter about his degrees or qualifications. They were not concerned about where he came from or his profession. Although most of them were Jews who had come from different parts of the world to celebrate Pentecost, they did not ask Peter to work signs.

Lent is finally over. Am I also in haste to move on with my life? No more Stations of the Cross, no more fasting and abstinence. Am I going to return to my old habits and vices? Mary Magdalene refused to move on. Her actions proved she was a true friend of Jesus. She was among the Women of Jerusalem who wept for Jesus while the crowd cheered and mocked, but when others moved on, she went to the tomb early in the morning

Judas Iscariot behaved as if all was well even after collecting money. When others were asking: “Is it I who will betray you?” Judas joined in the chorus. Judas did not realise Jesus was giving him a last chance to repent.

Do you think there is anything too much for God? While thinking about this, remember that God did not consider the sacrifice of his only Son, Jesus Christ, too much for us. Reflecting on this, St. Paul, in our second reading today, assures us that if God did not spare His own Son, Jesus Christ, for our sake, then there is absolutely nothing He cannot do for our sake. (Romans 8:31-34).

When Peter saw the great catch, he knew only God could do this. His eyes were open. He fell at Jesus’ knees, saying: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” An encounter with God helps us to come to terms with our nothingness. Disobedience to God is a function of our spiritual blindness. If you know God, you would be too afraid to disobey Him.

Are you a leader in any capacity? Are you a man or woman of God? Do you head a family, a church or a company? Know that your success highly depends on your closeness to God, active prayer life and willingness to listen to God’s voice daily. Left to your power and intelligence, you can do nothing.

The first and greatest commandment is also intricately connected to the second commandment: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Of course, as St. John says: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20).

If proper statistics are taken, it would reveal that the answer to this question for most of us is zero. We do not even bother to count. When we feel offended, we rush to retaliate, end the relationship (business agreement, marriage, contract etc.) or bottle everything up – waiting for the right time to strike back.