3 rd Sunday of Easter (Year C)
Scriptures: Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41; Ps. 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; Rev. 5:11-14 Jn. 21:1-19
The days after Easter up to the feast of Pentecost are among the most fruitful
days in the Church’s liturgical year. However, we often fail to draw lessons from
this period because we tend to view Easter as just a one-day celebration. Many
parishes have developed meaningful traditions during this Easter season—such
as reading the Acts of the Apostles, conducting the Stations of the Resurrection,
organizing Family Easter Joy gatherings on Sundays, creating an Easter garden
like the Christmas crib, proclaiming the Resurrection of Christ to those who do
not know Him, keeping the Paschal Candle visible, and arranging pilgrimages
or Easter walks. These practices help us remain focused on the central theme of
the Resurrection. They also help us relive the forty days of Jesus’ presence with
His disciples—from His Resurrection to His Ascension.
The liturgies during the Easter season, especially on Sundays, are vibrant and
deeply meaningful. Each Sunday conveys a powerful message to us. The
Resurrection of Jesus was a decisive moment in the lives of the disciples. It
awakened in them a true and unwavering faith in Jesus. Today’s liturgy presents
three distinct situations where faith in the Risen Christ gave strength to His
followers.
In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear how the disciples were
arrested for preaching about Jesus. They were strictly ordered not to spread His
teachings. The apostles faced repeated warnings and threats from the Jewish
authorities. They were beaten (Acts 5:40), and the opposition against them
continued to grow—even to the point of threatening their lives (Acts 5:33).
Open persecution intensified after the martyrdom of St. Stephen (Acts 7).
Despite this, the apostles responded with great courage, joy, and perseverance.
Why? Because they had experienced the Risen Lord.
The second reading presents St. John’s vision of heaven, where Jesus sits
enthroned as the Lamb who was slain. John describes four living creatures who
worship Jesus continuously. Along with them, the elders, angels, and every
creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea fall down and
worship Him. These four creatures—a lion, an ox, a human being, and an
eagle—are symbolic representations of all creation. The lion represents wild
animals—strength and majesty. The ox stands for domestic animals—service
and sacrifice. The human being symbolizes humanity—reason and intelligence.
The eagle represents the birds of the air—freedom and transcendence. Together,
they signify the fullness of creation, all glorifying the Risen Christ. This vision of worship was a source of hope and strength for Christians enduring
persecution under Emperor Domitian around AD 95–100. St. John’s message
was clear: the Lord is risen, and He reigns from heaven. This belief helped the
early Christians remain steadfast, even in the face of severe persecution.
In the Gospel, we find Peter and some of the disciples returning to their
hometown in Galilee, resuming their old profession of fishing. This decision
reveals that they had lost hope and enthusiasm, perhaps because they still did
not fully understand the Resurrection. Despite working all night, they caught
nothing—a frustrating experience, especially for seasoned fishermen like Peter.
But then Jesus appeared. He guided them to a miraculous catch, prepared
breakfast for them, and ate with them. His presence rekindled their spirits. They
were re-anointed and re-commissioned for the mission of the Gospel.
Each of these readings demonstrates that the Resurrection of Jesus empowered
the apostles to overcome all forms of persecution, difficulty, and struggle. The
Church is built upon the profound experience of the Risen Christ in the lives of
His faithful followers.
The liturgy of today carries a deep message for us through the words of St. Pope
John Paul II, who said: “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the
Easter people, and Alleluia is our song.” He reminds us that we can face any
challenge in the light of the Resurrection’s victory. May we, like the apostles,
build our faith firmly on the Resurrection of Jesus. Amen.
Fr. Alex Domnic D’Mello