[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, May 4, 2025, the Third Sunday of Easter. This week's episode is entitled: Healed by Love, and in these readings, we will recall how Jesus lovingly healed Simon Peter and be reminded that Jesus is always waiting to heal all of our wounds out of his great love for us.
[00:00:40] As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
When we are anxious or uncertain, we often fall back on the comfort provided by familiar touchstones, things we count on to console and soothe us. But author Thomas Wolfe reminded us that we can't go home again, meaning that the past looks better from a distance, and like it or not, we really can't go back. Times change, people change - for better or for worse. There is one thing that doesn't change, and that is Jesus. He is our eternal touchstone, always waiting to comfort, soothe, and heal us.
[00:01:25] So let's begin in prayer:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:31] Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the compassion and healing offered to us by your Son, Jesus. Help us to rely more fully on his love, knowing that it is by his Spirit we are renewed, and by his Blood we are redeemed. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:02:00] Now that we have opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures. Our Gospel this week is from John 21: 1-19.
[00:02:12] “[At that time,] Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tibe’ri-as; and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan’a-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zeb’edee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ [So] they went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you [caught] any fish?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and [in a like manner] the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time, he said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ [Jesus] said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he had said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.’ (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) After this, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’”
[00:05:45] Most Scripture scholars see chapter 21 of John's Gospel - we just heard the first 19 verses of that - as an addition to the original work… an epilogue, if you will, added either by John himself or by one of his disciples after his death… there's no way to know for sure.
[00:06:05] This week's passage completes the healing and restoration of Simon Peter, begun on Palm Sunday (if you remember, we heard that Gospel on Palm Sunday - the Passion Gospel) and, at that time, we heard Peter deny Jesus. But then we also heard that Peter expressed genuine remorse after the denial. So, this passage allows for the complete restoration and healing of Peter.
[00:06:37] One other note - there is both a shorter and a longer version of this week's Gospel. The shorter version leaves off the last five verses of this passage, the ones we just heard about Peter's healing and renewal. Hopefully, most parishes won't choose to use that shorter version of this reading… but be aware that that is an option. So, with all of that in mind, let's break open John's Gospel.
[00:07:04] “[At that time,] Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tibe’ri-as; and he revealed himself in this way.”
The first thing we notice about that sentence is that the normally precise and specific John is neither precise nor specific about the time this event takes place. He simply says, “at that time.” He'll get there in verse three… but here, we're simply told “at that time.”
[00:07:37] And we're told that Jesus appeared to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, which we know more commonly to be the Sea of Galilee. Then we're told about the disciples that were there.
“Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan’a-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zeb’edee, and two others of his disciples were together.”
[00:08:04] That's a fairly comprehensive list of characters, although some of the disciples in the list are unnamed. Two of those unnamed disciples we can identify because we know that “the sons of Zebedee” are James and John. So that tells us that all the members of Jesus Inner Circle are present: Peter, James, and John.
[00:08:27] However, the names of the last two disciples in that list remain a mystery; we're never told who they are.
[00:08:35] If we stop to count the number of disciples present, we learn that there are seven.
[00:08:42] And we know that seven is a number of completeness and perfection in the Bible. So, having seven disciples there at the Sea of Galilee was the perfect number of disciples to have present for Jesus to accomplish his intended purpose. So, let's return to the story…
“Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’”
[00:09:10] Peter and the other disciples were fishermen (for the most part) before they were called to be disciples… it is what they knew, it was familiar, it was comfortable.
[00:09:24] Simon, however, is clearly still leading the others, and they are - obviously - still following him. That tells us that the disciples still see Peter as having primacy among their number.
“[So] they went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing.”
And there it is. John finally reveals that it was night… they (the disciples) were in darkness. And remember, darkness is just as often a state of mind as it is a reality of lived experience. So, that's doing double duty there.
[00:10:08] And fishermen typically did work at night. We know that from our previous Gospels - that was nothing unusual - and yet there was nothing typical about this particular night. And the darkness the disciples are experiencing is more than just a lack of sunlight, it represents fear, failure, separation from Jesus, and perhaps an inability to recognize the light - to recognize Jesus as the Light of the World, which we see in the very next sentence.
“Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.”
The Son (the s-o-n, Son) appears on the beach just as the sun (s-u-n, sun) rises above the horizon… but the disciples don't recognize Jesus. And if we think back to Easter and what I said at the time, remember, new body, new rules! Jesus is no longer subject to the restrictions of time and space, no longer confined to an earthbound existence - he can appear when, where, and how he chooses.
[00:11:45] “Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you [caught] any fish?’ They answered him, ‘No.’”
[00:11:54] In chapter 15 of John's Gospel, Jesus says: “apart from me you can do nothing.” So, because the disciples are separated from Jesus at this point - mentally as well as physically - because they are not relying on him, they are unable to accomplish anything. That should be a reminder to us as well. We may not always be aware of Jesus’ presence, but he's always with us. And we separate ourselves from him - he doesn't separate himself from us… we separate ourselves from him. So, when we find that we're frustrated, when we find that we can't accomplish the things that we intend to accomplish, perhaps we need to look inside and see what we're doing to keep Jesus away from us.
[00:12:52] “He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish.”
Both Luke and John relate the story of the miraculous catch of fish. The difference is Luke places it early in Jesus' public ministry, whereas John places it here after the Resurrection.
[00:13:20] “That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’”
Remember, John never names himself in his Gospel. He is referred to as - the one whom Jesus loved or the Beloved Disciple. So, we know that the first person in that group to recognize the figure on the shore as Jesus was John.
[00:13:45] We also know that John would have been the apostle least burdened by the weight of guilt… John never denied Jesus, he never deserted him, he was - in fact - at the foot of the Cross during the Crucifixion, so he has less guilt to weigh him down.
“When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea.”
Fishing would have been difficult, sweaty, and slimy work, so fishermen would often be only lightly dressed when they were out in their boats, which is what “stripped for work” means.
[00:14:33] Then when John says Peter “put on his clothes” we might compare that to Peter (very literally) putting on a suit of armor - armoring himself - protecting himself out of fear, worry… fear of the condemnation (in his own mind) that he expects to get from Jesus, worry that Jesus will reject him… in his own mind that's what he's dealing with. All of those concerns that he thinks he may have to face when he comes to Jesus. And yet… and yet… what does he say? John tells us he “sprang into the sea” meaning that for all of his worry, concern, fear, trepidation, he still can't wait to be near the Lord.
[00:15:24] “But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, but about a hundred yards off.”
Someone had to be responsible for hauling the catch back to shore, right? So, the other disciples took care of that very practical detail.
“When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread.”
I want to point out a couple of subtle but important details there. First, the fact that the meal prepared consisted of fish and bread should remind us of Jesus feeding the multitude with only five loaves of bread and two fish - an event (by the way) that occurred on a hill above the Sea of Galilee. Second, we have to acknowledge the significance of a charcoal fire, because that takes us back again to Good Friday. We hear in John 18 that Peter sat down at a charcoal fire in the courtyard of the high priest's house. It was at that charcoal fire that Peter denied Jesus three times.
[00:16:50] Now, at another charcoal fire, the stage is fully set for what is to come!
[00:16:58] “Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.”
While John may have been uncharacteristically vague in the beginning of this passage about the time of the event, he is, oh, so characteristically specific about the number of fish caught in the net.
[00:17:33] We may ask, why so specific? Well, Saint Jerome has an answer for us. Saint Jerome (4th century priest, theologian, and a Doctor of the Church), best known for translating the Bible into Latin (which we came to know as the Vulgate, actually), but Saint Jerome wrote that the number 153 is an allegory for totality. At the time, it was believed that there were 153 different species of fish in the world. So, a catch of 153 fish would symbolize all of mankind.
[00:18:21] All people, places, races, tongues, colors… you name it – everything, all people. Indicating that the Church should be universal and inclusive. And saying that “the net was not torn” despite such a large catch tells us that there is and always will be room in the Church for everyone! And notice, Jesus also tells Peter - very specifically - to bring some of the newly caught fish… friends, that means us!
[00:19:06] That means we're supposed to be part of this event, we're supposed to witness it, we're supposed to see what happens, we, too are invited.
[00:19:20] We, too, are invited to partake of that meal.
“Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’”
[00:19:31] The Lord invites his disciples to a meal - not a Passover meal (as he shared with them at the Last Supper) but a new meal - a meal of welcome… a meal of thanksgiving.
[00:19:48] Now, the Greek word for thanksgiving is eucharistia, which is where we get the word Eucharist… so, Holy Communion.
[00:20:02] “Now none of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord.”
[00:20:08] We know that John had already recognized and acknowledged Jesus' identity; now he tells us the other disciples have reached the same conclusion.
[00:20:26] “Jesus came and took the bread, and gave it to them, and [in like manner] the fish.”
[00:20:33] If we think back to the Feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew (I just mentioned that a little while ago), the disciples were the ones - in that miraculous feeding - to distribute the bread and fish among the crowd. Now Jesus feeds his disciples himself. And that's at the heart of discipleship, right? We are fed by Jesus, strengthened then to go out and feed others.
[00:21:03] “This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.”
[00:21:11] John, in those words, tells us that not only had Jesus appeared to his disciples, he has now appeared three times… another perfect number meaning that the Resurrected Jesus was really and truly present. And, by saying that Jesus shared a meal with them, John is confirming that Jesus was no ghost, he was not a vision, that it was really Jesus… the same Jesus that they knew from before his Crucifixion, now glorified and transformed, certainly, but still Jesus.
[00:21:53] And that is where the shorter version of the Gospel ends.
[00:21:58] So, let's hear the rest now for ourselves…
“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’”
[00:22:14]” More than these” seems to be a strangely specific sort of stipulation, doesn't it? But what Jesus is saying is that Peter needs to love Jesus more… more than he loves the other disciples, more than his friends, more than his family, more than his business, more than his home… he needs to love Jesus more than he loves anything else. And remember, in Luke's account of the Last Supper, Peter says to Jesus: “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and death” and yet he clearly WASN'T because he clearly DIDN'T.
[00:23:08] Jesus is telling Peter that he must now declare his absolute and unconditional love - once and for all - with no doubt, no hesitation, no equivocation.
[00:23:28] And when we remember that God is love - God is the source of all love - we then know that if we love God first, we are constantly filled by his love, by the gift of his love, which gives us an infinitely renewable source of love to share with others.
[00:23:59] “Peter said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”
I read that in a very specific way, but we don't really know HOW Peter responded to Jesus, although it is possible that his first answer may have been a bit matter of fact - given without any real thought or consideration. But Jesus takes every opening we give him to draw us more toward himself, and he would do absolutely no different with Peter. So, what does Jesus say?
[00:24:38] “Feed my lambs.”
[00:24:41] That is Jesus’ first instruction (in this part of the Gospel) to Peter and it is very specific: “Feed my lambs.” Nourish the flock which I have entrusted to your care… feed my lambs as I fed you at the Last Supper - as I feed you at this fire… establish the Eucharistic feast in my Church to which I have appointed you as leader.
“A second time [Jesus] said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’”
[00:25:29] Peter knows enough about Jesus by now to know that when a question is repeated… oooh, it's time to pay a bit more attention!
[00:25:39] “He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’”
Again, I read it a certain way, but we don't know… we can't get a tone of voice from words on a page, we don't know exactly how Peter said it. And while Peter's words may have been exactly the same, we have to hope that his response was more thoughtful and more sincere.
“[Jesus] said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’”
[00:26:13] The second instruction to Peter is different: “Tend my sheep.” Jesus is saying that his flock won't always stay together, they won't always agree, they won't always behave, they won't always obey God's laws, they won't always adhere to his will. So, they need a shepherd that will care for them, guard them, go after them when they stray, and keep them safe! And Peter is to be that shepherd - the first of that kind - but he is to be that first shepherd.
“[Jesus] said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’”
[00:27:13] At this point, Peter may have begun to think that Jesus really didn't believe his answers… and yes, Peter is grieved - obviously - but remember, he denied Jesus three times, which means he needs to be given three opportunities to declare his love for Jesus in order to be fully, finally, and completely healed.
[00:27:46] “And [Peter] said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’”
[00:27:54] Finally, we've reached the very heart of the matter, haven't we? Jesus DOES know everything… including exactly what Peter needs to be healed. And Peter is acknowledging that, yes, Jesus does know everything, the good and the bad - Jesus knew that Peter would deny him, Jesus predicted that it would happen, though he prayed that it wouldn't, and Jesus knew when Peter's denial was complete because (the Gospel tells us) he turned and looked at Peter as the cock crowed - but Peter is also, in a way, finally acknowledging his own failings, his own guilt. And we all have to do that, right? When we approach the Lord asking for forgiveness, we all have to do that. And Peter is surrendering it all to Jesus, just as we are invited to do in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
[00:29:03] “Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’”
[00:29:07] That is Jesus' third and final instruction to Peter: “Feed my sheep.” Feed the lambs of my flock: spiritually, mentally, physically nourish the sheep I have placed in your care. This passage always reminds me of the lyrics of the song “Heart of a Shepherd” by Rory Cooney. And the chorus goes: “If you love me feed my lambs, be my heart, my voice, my hands.”
[00:29:46] That is precisely what Jesus is instructing Simon Peter to do. And not only Simon Peter, but all of his successors down through the ages.
[00:30:00] But Jesus doesn't stop there, he goes on…
“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would;”
Meaning that Peter was the master of his own fate before he became a disciple.
[00:30:20] “‘but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.’ (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.)
[00:30:35] Jesus’ words “stretch out your hands” refer to Peter's own crucifixion, which took place during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Nero. Tradition tells us that Peter was crucified upside down (at his own request) since he did not feel he was worthy to die in the same manner as Jesus did. Then we hear John's parenthetical commentary regarding Peter's crucifixion. Remember, John's Gospel was written about 90 AD and Peter was crucified around 64 AD – so, for John, that was already an established historical fact.
[00:31:17] Saint Peter's Basilica was actually built on the site of Peter's execution, and his remains are located in a marble sarcophagus under the main altar. Interestingly enough, that fact was lost for centuries. The bones of Saint Peter were lost for centuries, and there are three books (that I'm aware) of that detail the discovery, or perhaps I should say the rediscovery, of Saint Peter's remains. It is a fascinating story and I will list those titles on my Instagram post this week. If you want to see where Saint Peter's remains are now and you do not have the opportunity to go to Rome in person, the Vatican has a really amazing virtual tour available online - I would highly suggest it! It's a wonderful experience online that anyone can view.
[00:32:20] “And after this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’”
Peter's role as Jesus’ disciple lies at the heart of his role as shepherd and leader of the Church, the Pope. And not just Peter, all the Popes that have followed in his footsteps. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and he assigns Peter - and all of his successors - a unique share in his work. In John 12, Jesus says: “If anyone serve me, he must follow me and where I am there my servant shall be also.”
[00:33:05] That quote doesn't refer only to the Pope or to any of the clergy - it refers to everyone who is a follower, a disciple of Jesus.
[00:33:24] Everyone that authentically serves Jesus must first begin as a disciple and follow Jesus' teachings - not just the ones we like, not just the ones that are easy, but all of them! And when we fail at that - which we will… when we fall short of Jesus' expectations of us – and we all do, we're all sinners… then Jesus will always be there, waiting to heal our wounds, just as he healed Simon Peter… out of his great love for us.
[00:34:14] I have photos from my trip to Israel that were taken at the Church of the Primacy of Saint Peter, which is on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and I will include them on my Instagram post this week. Outside the church, there is a statue on the shore depicting that fireside interaction between Jesus and Peter, so I will be sure to include a photo of that as well.
[00:34:43] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Acts 5: 27-32, 40b-41.
[00:34:52] “[When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in] they set them before the [Sanhedrin]. And the high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in that name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. [W]e are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.’ [The Sanhedrin] charged [the apostles] not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the [Sanhedrin], rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the [sake of the] name.”
[00:35:56] As I mentioned last week, Acts is basically volume two of Luke's writings. So, while Luke's Gospel ends with the Ascension, that is exactly where Acts begins. Luke tells us that he wrote his Gospel to present an orderly narrative of Jesus’ life; his purpose in writing Acts, however, is to tell the story of the early Church - what happened, how it happened, and who made it happen.
[00:36:29] In this week's passage, we kind of jump into the middle of a story… the apostles had been preaching in Jerusalem when they were arrested and imprisoned. An angel came to their cell during the night and freed them, leaving the cells locked and the sentries in place. The next morning, the apostles just returned to their preaching.
[00:36:56] Now, when the Sanhedrin ordered the guards to bring the apostles from their cells into the council chambers, they learned that their prisoners had somehow been misplaced, that they weren't where the council had left them! And when they learned that the apostles were actually back out on the streets of Jerusalem preaching again, they became just a bit cranky. And that's where we take up the story…
[00:37:31] “[When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in] they set them before the [Sanhedrin]. And the high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching’”
The high priest is still Caiaphas, of course. And when the guards went back out into the streets, rounded the apostles up again and brought them before the council, the council states very clearly that they feel the preaching of the apostles is way too successful and altogether too popular.
“and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.”
The apostles had absolutely nothing to do with that, truth be told. In fact, that is exactly what the council itself asked for, isn't it? Think back to Matthew 27, Pilate washes his hands during Jesus’ trial saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood” to which the Jewish authorities responded, “His blood be upon us and on our children.” Now, however, they are accusing the Apostles of being responsible for that… that's not the case.
[00:38:53] “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’”
[00:38:59] When human orders, decrees, or laws come into conflict with divine will, the divine must be obeyed. True Christians cannot submit to any human authorities, institutions, or laws that run counter to God's will. That applies equally to us today when we encounter unjust laws or institutions.
[00:39:33] When earthly authorities run counter to God's will, we too must resist. We must resist hatred, persecution, and discrimination and remain obedient to God's will. In this specific instance, Jesus’ mandate to preach the Gospel overrides the instruction of the Sanhedrin to keep silent.
[00:40:03] Peter goes on…
“The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”
Although the Jewish authorities called for Jesus’ Crucifixion, Peter is saying that Jesus’ mission was never intended to exclude the Jewish people.
[00:40:30] That part of Jesus’ mission was - in fact - meant to renew God's chosen people, bring them to repentance, forgive their transgressions, and restore them to their proper place in the kingdom.
“[W]e are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
[00:40:52] God's Holy Spirit should be our constant companion and guide, the one who fills our hearts with God's love and makes us truly wise. That's what we ask for in the Holy Spirit prayer - kindle in our hearts the fire of your love and grant that we may be truly wise. Because when we are wise, we will obey God's divine will. And there is no way around that last one - with knowledge of God's law and God's will comes the absolute necessity to obey it… no ifs, ands, or buts.
“[The Sanhedrin] charged [the apostles] not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.”
The Sanhedrin knew, when they gave that order, that it was a waste of time and breath and that the apostles wouldn't follow it.
[00:41:49] “Then [the Apostles] left the presence of the [Sanhedrin], rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the [sake of the] name.”
[00:41:59] Another detail that's omitted from this passage is that the apostles were (actually) beaten before they were released.
[00:42:10] That is significant because it also bears directly on that last sentence: “suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.” In Matthew 5, Jesus says (in the Sermon on the Mount): “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” So, if or when we suffer for doing the right thing, Jesus has promised us a place in the kingdom. But what about when we don't do the right thing? When we fail, when we don't obey God's will, when we sin?
[00:42:53] Well, in all of that we still know that Jesus will always search for and find us to comfort us, soothe us, heal us, and ultimately strengthen us to do better.
[00:43:15] That takes us to our Responsorial Psalm, which this week is Psalm 30. And here is the refrain:
“I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.”
That response is actually a paraphrase of the NAB translation, which actually says: “I will praise you, Lord, for you have raised me up.” I included that here since it's probably what you'll hear in your home parish this weekend. The RSV, which is the translation I use here in this Bible study, actually translates that verse as: “I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up.” Same sentiment as the NAB translation. Regardless of which one you start with, the response you'll hear in church this weekend (in Catholic parishes this weekend) is highly paraphrased, but here are the verses:
“I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from those gone down to the Pit.
Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me! O LORD, be you my helper! O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever.”
[00:45:06] This Psalm is an Individual Hymn of Thanksgiving, a prayer of thanks to God for deliverance from one's enemies… so you can see why this Psalm was chosen for this week. Praise and thanksgiving were crucial to daily life in biblical times, just as they are for us today. Although, in our modern world, we're a little more removed from daily praying with the Psalms.
[00:45:43] And let's face it, it's easy to be grateful when things in life are going well, but not so much when they aren't. When we're sad or suffering, when we're grieving or in pain, it's really difficult to praise God for his blessings when we aren't able - at the moment - to call them to mind.
[00:46:13] But that is exactly when Thanksgiving Psalms can be especially helpful. They touch our hearts when we are broken or in need, and they help us to find strength and solutions. No one, not even Jesus, said that an attitude of gratitude would be easy in the life of a disciple, just that it would be necessary!
[00:46:48] And that leads us to our Second Reading, which is (again) from Revelation 5: 11-14.
[00:46:57] “I, [John], looked, and heard around the throne the voice of many angels and the living creatures and the elders, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, ‘To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
[00:47:48] Last week we were in Chapter 1 of Revelation, this week we have skipped all the way to Chapter 5. This passage concludes John's vision of God's Throne and the Lamb that began, actually, in Chapter 4. This vision concludes with everyone in heaven singing praise to God the Father and to Jesus the Son.
[00:48:20] Think about that… every entity in the heavenly realm participating in a divine liturgy of praise, creating a scene of absolute perfect harmony.
[00:48:39] The Catholic Mass is intended to be a participation in that heavenly liturgy. Whether it's done well or poorly here on earth is immaterial… we, in this earthly realm, join our worship to all of those entities in the heavenly realm in praising God.
[00:49:07] So, let's join John in glimpsing that heavenly worship…
[00:49:13] “I, [John], looked, and heard around the throne the voice of many angels and the living creatures and the elders,”
That's John's description of the heavenly choir.
[00:49:26] But let's explore what entities comprise that heavenly choir… the first group he lists is the angels. Now, theologians, priests, monks, and saints down through the ages have written about angelic choirs, going back as far - to be honest - as the 4th and 5th centuries. Those writings tell us that there are nine choirs of angels: the seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels. And those writings also tell us that each rank of angel has its own mission and responsibility.
[00:50:15] Next, John mentions the living creatures - elsewhere called The Four Living Creatures. We first meet the four living creatures in the book of the Prophet Ezekiel, but his description is a bit different than the one found in Revelation. In both places, however, the creatures possess different countenances.
[00:50:42] One possesses the countenance of a lion, another an ox, the third a man, and the fourth an eagle. Those creatures represent, from a biblical perspective, the noblest, strongest, wisest, and swiftest of all creatures in God's creation.
[00:51:08] Since as early as the 2nd century, the four living creatures have also been associated with the four Evangelists. The lion represents Mark, the ox represents Luke, the man represents Matthew, and the eagle represents John.
[00:51:30] Then lastly, John mentions the elders, of which we are told elsewhere, there are 24… and that number represents the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles… meaning the Old Covenant and the New Covenant… meaning all are included. But exactly how many beings were there in the choir? Well, John tells us there were…
“myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,”
Meaning a number simply too great to count.
“saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’”
That sentence does give us something we can count! The attributes of the Lamb, of which there are seven. And remember, seven is a number of perfection and completeness.
[00:52:38] So, the fascinating thing is those seven attributes can then be further subdivided into two groups, a group of three (look at that, another perfect number) and those three are attributes of Jesus’ human nature: power, wealth, wisdom. And then another group of four attributes (oh, look at that, another perfect number) and those four attributes belong by right to Jesus’ divine nature: might, honor, glory, and blessing. And yes, Revelation is always full of symbolism.
[00:53:31] “And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, all therein, saying, ‘To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb’”
Okay, John is telling us there, every possible plane of existence joins in the cosmic hymn of praise to God the Father (the one who sits upon the throne) and to Jesus (the Lamb).
[00:54:06] “[To them] be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!”
[00:54:13] The four divine attributes that we just heard ascribed to Jesus are now listed again as applying to both divine persons… both God the Father and God the Son.
“And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
The four living creatures declare: It is true! So be it! That's what Amen means. Then the 24 elders fell down in worship… human beings all. Those 24, they represent mankind… and worship is mankind's altogether right and appropriate attitude towards God.
[00:55:07] One thing we need to keep in mind… that place, that vision, shows us our true destiny, our ultimate home. We are all destined to participate in that heavenly liturgy, but we can throw it away! We can throw that chance away!
[00:55:37] We can turn our back on it. When we give in to the power of darkness and sin in our lives, when we allow ourselves to give in to temptation, when we fall, when we fail… even then - we still have a choice. We can stay where we are, in the darkness of our sin and give in to the despair that the devil wants us to feel… or we can just look around.
[00:56:15] Because I guarantee that Jesus is there loving us, waiting for us… to comfort, soothe, and heal our troubled hearts and souls.
[00:56:32] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain and may he hold you, safe and secure, in the palm of his hand.
[00:56:57] From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
[00:57:21] Thank you for listening and God bless.
