Homily: Friday Within the Octave of Easter
Friday Within the Octave of Easter (Jn.21:1-14) “Amazing Grace”
How would we feel if we were Peter and met Jesus after the Resurrection? I would think that we would have been embarrassed at having denied Jesus. We might even be afraid of meeting the risen Lord. We might be worried that he was going to confront us and remind us that we had deserted him in his time of need. We might be worried that he would be angry with us. But Jesus does not seem to want to punish Peter for his indiscretion.
By the time that the incident happened that we read about today it would seem that Peter and Jesus had already had a reconciliation. Peter knew that Jesus had forgiven him. He had a fresh start.
Perhaps that is why Peter jumped out of the boat to swim to shore to greet Jesus after the miraculous catch of fish. He was no longer afraid, but he had the joy that comes from being a forgiven sinner.
Maybe we have experienced God’s mercy. I have known people who have been addicted for example. Many times, they have bottomed out which means that have been as ashamed as they could imagine, but then they were able to change and start all over again. They have experienced the forgiveness of God and they find their self-worth again. They are precious in the eyes of the Lord. As the song says, they have experienced God’s “amazing grace.”
That is what Peter had experienced in his life. He was giddy and happy because he knew that Jesus had not cast him aside. He still had his place as leader of the Apostles.
Jesus sees our value even when we cannot see it. Jesus looks at each person as precious when others might dismiss them. We can always have new life and Christ. And that is what we can be overjoyed about during the Easter season.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I ever doubted God’s mercy? When was that?
- Can I be forgiven of anything I might do? Does that give me a license to sin?
Dear Parishioners,
Spring is upon us. This means that we will be having a lot of special sacramental celebrations. It also means that we need to start taking care of our building and grounds once more. I appreciate all the people who work to make our campus look beautiful. It is a credit to all who do the weeding watering and trimming.
We always could use more people to help. If you are interested call Cliff Zerull who chairs this committee. He will get you a plot to take care of on our grounds and you can get started. Cliff’s number is 309-781-9787.
We will be having outdoor Masses again this summer. The first one will be Sunday May 29th at 9:15 a.m. Mark this on your calendar today.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for us.
Fr. Mark