Third Sunday of Easter – 03 May 2025.
Readings: Acts 5:27-32,40-41; Ps 29:2,4-6,11-13; Rev. 5:11-14 & Gospel – John 21:1-19.
The first reading recounts how the High Priest demanded an explanation from the apostles about saturating Jerusalem with their preaching. In the second reading, St. John sees the vision of numberless angels praising God. The gospel tells the story of the appearance of Jesus at the Sea of Tiberias. Jesus said to Peter, feed my lambs, look after my sheep, and feed my Sheep. We are challenged to always consider obedience to God first. Relying on the primacy of the Chair of St. Peter, we are reminded about “the clash of civilisations” with assurances that we are in the right boat sailing towards our eternal home.
Introduction
In a 1992 lecture at the American Enterprise Institute titled, “Clash of Civilizations,” the American political scientist, Samuel P. Huntington, projected that after the Cold War, conflicts would neither be fought on ideological grounds nor a country-to-country basis but on cultural and religious identities. It is a coincidence that Open Doors indicated that 380 million Christians around the world were impacted by Islamic extremism, authoritarian regimes, war, and high-level persecution in 2024? It added that Christians experienced fierce persecution and discrimination in 50 countries. The 2025 report shows targeting Christians and forcing them to flee their homes as Churches are forced underground. Countries on the list include – North Korea (for the 23rd year), Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.
What emboldened the Apostles to dare the Sanhedrin? Do we have the temerity to talk truth to power without fear or favour amid a clash of civilisations that questions the very foundations of our faith and seeks to annihilate the Christian faith? Why did Jesus tell Peter to feed his lambs 3 times? Why did he speak metaphorically about the kind of death Peter would die? Is the Church under the Chair of Peter, which is currently vacant, determined to feed the flock until the Lord returns?
Background & Summary of the Readings
The first reading (Acts 5:27-32,40-41) recounts how the High Priest demanded an explanation of the apostles about saturating Jerusalem with their preaching. After warning them not to preach in the name of Christ, Peter and the apostles dared the authorities: “Obedience to God comes first before obedience to man,” assuring that Jesus, whom the Jews hanged on a tree, was raised by God and is now a leader and saviour. Moved by the Holy Spirit, they defied the Sanhedrin’s warning and bore witness to repentance and forgiveness of sins and were happy to have suffered humiliation for the sake of Christ.
In the second reading (Rev. 5:11-14), St. John sees the vision of numberless angels glorifying the Lamb who was sacrificed and now enjoys praise, power, honour, and glory, forever and ever. He underlines that while the four animals said, “Amen,” the elders prostrated themselves to worship God.
In the gospel (John 21:1-19), Jesus appears on the Sea of Tiberias and gently leads Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and the two other apostles from a great catch of fish to a meal (bread and fish) and ends with entrusting unto them the difficult task of feeding his sheep. He asked Peter thrice if he loved him, and Peter answered in the affirmative. Jesus said to him: Feed my lambs, look after my sheep, and feed my sheep. Jesus used the opportunity to indicate the kind of death that Peter would suffer.
Practical Lessons
- Protect the Patrimony: While the response of Peter and the Apostles, “obedience to God first before obedience to man” charges us to set our priorities right, the threat of the High Priest and Sanhedrin to the Apostles in the first reading reminds contemporary believers to protect Christian civilisation from the clutches of the devil bearing in mind that the enemies of the Cross will never be tired of persecuting the Church.
- Talk Truth to Power: By accusing the elders and Sanhedrin of hanging Jesus on a tree, Peter teaches pastors of souls that they should be confident in talking truth to power, even if it means dying in the process, mindful that the power of the name of Christ confuses the camp of the enemy.
- Embrace Repentance: The message that the risen Jesus is both leader and saviour presents us with a model par excellence who cares for our needs and is desirous of building us up and saving us, even as it calls us to embrace true repentance and the message of forgiveness.
- Be Obedient: Like the Lamb that was slain as recorded in the second reading, Christians are charged embrace the obedience of love that is motivated by sacrifice as demonstrated by Jesus while being wary of the three other types of obedience that John Grant presents: The obedience of a soldier based on a sense of duty, the obedience of a servant based on benefits, and obedience of a slave occasioned by the fear of punishment.
- Be Proud of God’s Church: By asking Peter thrice if he loved him, Jesus wanted him to recant the three times Peter denied him and by tasking him to feed his lambs, he presented Peter as the first Pope of his Church (Cf. Matthew 18:18 & 18:16) who is the Vicar of Christ on earth under whose watch we are charged to respect the Church’s patrimony as we await a new Roman Pontiff.
Summary Lines
- The first reading recounts how the High Priest demanded an explanation from the apostles about saturating Jerusalem with their preaching.
- In the second reading, St. John sees the vision of numberless angels shouting: “The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given power…”
- To the One who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honour, glory and power, forever and ever.
- The gospel tells the story of the appearance of Jesus at the Sea of Tiberias.
- Jesus said to Peter, feed my lambs, look after my sheep, and feed my sheep.
Conclusion
Civil and religious authorities, bosses, masters, teachers, parents, and guardians are called upon to ensure everyone enjoys the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as enshrined in Articles 18 and 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Amid a seeming clash of civilisations, obedience to God remains sacrosanct. As Catholics, today’s liturgy assures that we are on the right boat sailing towards our eternal destiny. Happy New Month!
