REFLECTION FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

by Phyllis Chandler, Notre Dame Associate

I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. (Ps. 30:2a)

In this Sunday’s gospel from John, Jesus reveals himself for the third time to his disciples after rising from the dead. Some of the disciples have been fishing without success. Jesus, on the shore, suggests that they try again; when they do, the net is overflowing. As they come ashore, Jesus prepares breakfast for them.

In reading this, I am always struck by Jesus’ humanity and servanthood. Here he is, risen from the dead, in his glorified body, cooking breakfast for his friends. It is an ordinary event with extraordinary overtones.

We may not have this same opportunity to see Jesus in the everyday events of life, but we do have the potential to bring his presence into our daily interactions with others. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” When Peter responds that he does indeed love Jesus, Jesus asks him to feed his sheep. He is asking us as well to show our love for him in the way we treat our brothers and sisters.

This past Lent, I participated in Dynamic Catholic’s Best Lent Ever. In this program, Matthew Kelly spoke often of the concept of “holy moments.” We are all called to holiness, but no one (not even the saints) is holy 100% of the time. (Peter, who professed his love for Jesus repeatedly in this gospel, had denied him repeatedly just a few days earlier.) Matthew Kelly suggests that we begin with one holy moment and focus on increasing the number, so that we are living our lives in holy moments. One holy moment often leads others to respond with holy moments. My young friend Eli recently brought me some pastry he had made (a holy moment) to say thanks for something I had done for him (also a holy moment). What would our world be like if we all practiced holy moments?

May each of us, in the coming week, draw closer to the Risen Christ and help heal our broken world by practicing holy moments.