Third Sunday of Easter

Homily Video

Third Sunday of Easter Homily Transcript

In one more year I will be celebrating my 45th year of graduating from high school. Now you look at me and say, “How could that possibly be?” Forty five years we’ll have our reunion and I love when we have our high school reunion.

There are things that always take place. It’s always very similar when my class from my high school graduates from St. Viator when we gather. The first is when you walk into the room, you’re filled with excitement.

You see all these folks that you haven’t seen for a number of years, and then you begin to look closely. You see who is gone a little bit more bald, or whose hair is a little bit grayer, or who might be having even a difficulty getting around, because we all age.

Filled with joy, you see people you care for, and then what happens? You get together and you start telling stories. You remember how important remembering is, you remember what you did together in high school, and the fun that you had, and the stories are told.

And then you celebrate. You gather around tables, and you have a meal together and a drink and you continue to tell the stories, and remembering. And you do it because you believe. You believe in one another. You believe in what was the past, and what was the future as a class together.

And you live in hope. When I read the gospel I couldn’t help but thinking of that image. The same dynamics are at place. When the disciples realize it’s the Risen Lord. There is great joy, and they come and they gather and they remember.

They remember all that the Lord had taught them, and done for them. How we brought healing and hope to others. How He died and rose from the dead. They tell the stories, they remember and then they celebrate around a meal. Bread and fish, a reenactment, the Eucharist celebrated together with his closest of friends.

And they do that because they believe. They believe in the Risen Lord. They believe in one another. They believe that they have a mission to go out, and to spread the good news to all the world. When we gather here at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls to celebrate this liturgy today, during the Easter Season, we do the same thing.

We remember the great stories of God. The great things that God has done for us. We celebrate and we are nourished by the body in blood, the very presence of the Lord, and we believe. We believe that we too are called to be agents of transformation in the world, to make the world a better place in the image and in the likeness of the body of Christ.

Readings

First Reading:

Apostles 5:27-32, 40b-41

Second Reading:

Revelation 5:11-14

Gospel:

John 21:1-14

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