John 21:15-19

 This Gospel occurs only in the Gospel of John. Why? 

Because it happens only when they are alone. The disciples are napping (siesta) after breakfast, Jesus calls John for a personal dialogue and asking his love proposal. There would not be anybody around them and so did not record other evangelists. 

Some also say John wrote this particular incident of love because there was a kind of tension between John's and Peter's communities. This is written by John to authenticate John's community Jesus' call to the early Church because they thought that the Church was scandalized by the denial of Peter. John's three love proposals equalize the three denials of Peter.  

Though the word ‘love’ is given three times, in the original text there is a difference. In the first two instances, we have the word ‘agapao’ (‘selfless love’), while in the third instance, we have ‘phileo’ (‘friendship’ or ‘friendly love’). In the third question, Jesus asks Peter about his personal relationship with him. There, Peter surrenders, saying, “Lord, you know everything!” Our relationship with Jesus, though it begins at a functional level, moves towards a relational or personal level.

1. Jesus comes down to have a friendly relationship with John. He proposes a friendly model to all other followers. 

Jesus aims from us the personal relationship, 

Feast of Matthias

 Feast of Matthias

Liverpool, one of the famous English Premier League teams has a consistent strategy for their winning.  They are known for sending last-minute substitutes in the football game. The best players like Harvey Elliot, Neymar, Ibrahimovic and Salah used to sit on the benches and watch the game until 70-80 minutes. When they enter into the field, all the other players are almost tired. The statistics tell that this kind of last-minute substitute players score many goals. 

Matthias is also like the last-minute substitution player who was chosen to be the apostle at the last moment by lot. Why? Knowing the will of God through lots was a Jewish custom. The Apostles wanted to retain the original number of followers of Jesus to 12, in continuation with the understanding of the Church as the New Israel. at the last moment, Matthias entered into the field and became the twelfth apostle.

What are the lessons for us?

(a) Everyone of us can become an apostle. It is enough that you wait for your opportunity. He was not in the list of other disciples who had not seen Jesus, who were not called by him, and who did not follow him during his earthly ministry. Matthias represents every one of us – Being called an apostle means being raised to the level of a friend. 

(b) Do not blame attitude - but wait for your opportunity and grab it and perform well. Events happen to us in life. At times, events are out of our control. We should not lament about the situation and spend time worrying about it, rather We need to accept the events not as occurrences but as our responsibilities. We have to wait for the opportunity and perform the best in this opportunity. Matthias did not blame for Judas, neither the early community, but focus on someone who would perform the rest of the works of Jesus. 

(c) Jesus says to his apostles, “I have loved you, chosen you, and appointed you.” The initiative is from God. Allowing the initiatives of God to take their place in our lives demands surrender and obedience.

Sixth Week of Easter

Lydia becomes a symbol of today's evangelization. The work of the apostles was done both in sacred places and secular places. Sacred places because the evangelization was done primarily in the temple of Jerusalem, synagogues and in the temples of other Gods. But also it was done in secular places like dusty roads, banks of the river, households, and in the courtyards of the rulers.

The first reading brings before us the event of Paul preaching the gospel of Jesus along the banks of the river on the outskirts of Philippi. The women who were at the river banks listened to Paul’s teaching – all those who were washing their clothes, taking baths, bathing the children, watering the cattle, and cleaning the utensils – were listening to Paul. Evangelization can be done in simplest ways not always in rigid ways. 

Luke writes about a woman named ‘Lydia’: Lydia was a businesswoman or an entrepreneur, a dealer of purple cloth. She could be compared to the owners of textiles in our Country. The pink colour was worn by the high class and the elites.

Lydia was listening to Paul intentionally and intensively. God transforms her heart. She, along with her entire household, receives baptism, which may be in the river. Baptism is administered there in its simplest form—without a candle, sponsors, chrism, oil of catechumenate, white dress, and photographer.

Even the banks of the river become the spaces of God experience.

Lydia, who accepted the Lord’s word into her heart, also accepted the Lord’s servant into her home. Luke records: “She offered us an invitation, ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,’ and she prevailed on us.

We see here another good quality in Lydia. She did not want to receive salvation ‘freely.’ She wanted to repay it with her generous hospitality. When we receive an act of goodness or kindness, we must always give it back. This is the Law of the Universe.

Lydia teaches us the following lessons:

• Openness to accept new things and people – shown in her conversion of heart.

• Hospitality to the strangers – revealed through her welcome to the apostles.

• Immediate recompense – giving back to the world what she has received as kindness.

In the gospel reading, Jesus talks about the coming of the Holy Spirit, and warns the disciples about the crises and conflicts that they may have to face. / Jesus warns them that they will be expelled from the synagogues. Being expelled from the synagogue was a problem, but Paul converted into an opportunity. He takes the gospel to the river banks. Proclamation of the word is possible everywhere.