Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41; Ps. 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; Rev. 5:11-14; Jn. 21:1-19
It is the Lord that sets us free! It is the Lord who reveals to us “what is truth?” It comes in his person, the word incarnate. Truth will set us free not from a world that seeks to silence, condemn, and even kill a voice of truth that goes against the mainstream secular views. Truth sets us free from within to live in the surety that God loves us and promises eternity. It is the freedom to be at peace, to love and be open to love, and to fear not even in the darkest moments.
Pope John Paul II, now Saint JPII, spoke of a culture of death but before death comes the sins of hate, jealousy, power, and greed. The more the world changes the more the sins of the world remain the same. It is the same sins that crucified Jesus and that are at work in our own times to take us down, away from the grace of God. It is the Lord who sets us free from within, to live the truth coming from above. The truth does not need to overpower anyone, it stands strong on its own. The Lord rescues us from false teachings, he guides the church to remain faithful to the truth of the gospel.
The Sanhedrin wanted to silence the Apostles for announcing a truth that was clear to everyone. Jesus was not killed in secret, but publicly was called to be crucified and made an example. The message from the Apostles was of hope through repentance and forgiveness. But that would require the courage to admit ones sins and here lies the problem for the Sanhedrin and for us. We don’t like to admit our sins, to recognize our errors, to face our failings.
The power to deny sin is strong in our humanity. It is denied when we believe that our rights are greater than God’s law, “my right to do with my body as I want”. It is denied when we carry a sense of entitlement to justify our actions, “my entitlement to goods and services I have not worked for and cannot afford”. It is denied when we listen to the mainstream voice that claims truth is individual and denies any universal truth. This is not freedom but the path to human slavery to the passions and voices that take control of our lives and in our times, it is constantly be fed through social media and the internet.
Soon AI (artificial intelligence) will create the “perfect” partner that meets all of our psychological pleasures, it will be your new BFF (best friend forever). Just this week a major AI leader in an interview stated that most people at best only have 3 close friends and “need” at least 10-15. AI is going to give you you’re alter-ego best friend in who you can escape with. Who needs real people who are difficult, challenging and just don’t understand you. AI 24/7 is you’re get away from life at least until a real-life challenge comes and like a house built on sand it all comes tumbling down.
Already the ground is being laid where being connected to the world has little to do with having human interaction, knowing how to communicate, resolve problems in relationships or express emotions with each other. It is all channeled by indirect “chat”. All of us can argue a point but can we resolve an argument and come to some agreement? Let’s see what my artificial partner has to say because we can no longer think for ourselves.
It is the Lord that rescues us from the “netherworld” of falling into sin and from the pit of our own passions. It is the Lord who said from the cross “forgive then for they know not what they do”. We never consider that our sin is a hammer on a nail in Jesus. The reason as Catholics we keep Jesus on the cross even though he has resurrected is because he continues to suffer the pain of our sin. Jesus however desires to rescue us, heal us, make us new a new creation in his image. His image is one of love, mercy, truth and justice. Christ is risen! Risen indeed to make all things new that is to renew us in himself. This is the history of the Church.
In the gospel, Jesus appears a third time to the disciples. No one dared to ask Jesus “who are you?” There is something about Jesus in the glorified state that makes him appear different and a mystery to the disciples. This is a reminder to us that we too have the hope of a glorified body to come at the resurrection. It will no longer be a body that ages and decays but one that is forever whole and holy. The vision of John includes angels, “living creatures”, elders and the “Lamb”. The “Lamb” is Jesus, the elders the prophets and Apostles, and all the living creatures who give glory to God, the people of God. This is the communion of saints that awaits us.
Jesus has his little charcoal fire going ready to feed the disciples and he performs another miracle with an abundance of fish caught in the nets. This is Peter’s “come to Jesus” moment when after having denied him three times he now must confess his love of Jesus by accepting a mission, “feed my sheep”. This call directed specifically to Peter is that he may be the one who will Shepherd of his church, our first Pope. Since then, the church has a history of every one who has succeeded Peter in this role as Vicar of the Church. Today we are in the middle of another transition to the next Holy Father and the gates of hell will not prevail over sit. Let us pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to lead the Cardinals to select the “rock” for our times. It is the Lord who will save us from ourselves.
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