Jesus Entrusts Leadership Role

Apr 10^th '16 Sunday homily: Fr.Francis Chirackal CMI

Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41; Rv 5:11-14; Jn 21:1-19

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In today’s readings, we see one of the most loved pictures of God in the Bible, the loving, concerned and caring Shepherd. In the Old Testament people experienced God as a shepherd. Psalms 23 and many Old Testament passages present God as a shepherd, who leads, feeds and guards the flock with love and care. Book of prophet Ezekiel, puts the role of religious leaders as shepherds representing God’s love, care and protection. Jesus, introduced himself as the Good Shepherd. Here the same Jesus appoints Peter, the Apostle as the head, to shepherd His flock after showing them how to take care of the entrusted ones by calling them children, giving them a good catch, feeding them with breakfast and comfort.

Today’s first reading, from the book of Acts of the Apostles, presents the total change that happened in the disciples and the loyalty they showed to their Master in carrying out their mission. Peter, witnessed before the Sanhedrin, which put Jesus to death saying, that the same Jesus they put to death is the Son of God and is resurrected and they are obeying His order and he is greater than religious leaders, as He is the Lord of all. The reading from the book of Revelation, presents Jesus as the Lamb, who became the center of adoration and worship of angels and all the creatures under the heaven. By singing His glory the whole heavenly family was expressing its loyalty to Christ, the Lamb of God. In humility, they were acknowledging the almighty authority of the Lord Jesus over them. In servitude, they were professing that all power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory and blessing belongs to Jesus.

Today’s Gospel shows how the Risen Lord appointed Peter the head of His Church. Jesus, compared the Church to sheep and Peter as the shepherd. We see the succession of that same shepherd even today in our Holy Father, the Pope, head of the Church. Jesus tells Peter to feed His sheep. This was the sole purpose, He came to this world, to feed us. When the disciples finally got to shore after the big catch, He had breakfast going for them. This was not just a thoughtful gesture. This expressed the real reason why he came to us, in order to feed us, to feed us with heavenly bread for eternal life. This was the responsibility Jesus entrusted to Peter and consequently his successors.

In today’s gospel, we see the fulfillment of His words in Matt. 16:18-19, where He says, “You are Rock, and upon this Rock I will build my church… and I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven”. Jesus identified himself as the Good Shepherd and transferred that same office to Peter, as the Good Shepherd. The appointment of Peter, as the shepherd, tells that the God who selects and equips us enables us to do the works, which a human mind or intellect can’t imagine. In our lives, when God calls us to do His works, there will be no question of what are our natural or acquired abilities, but the only requirement is our readiness, to serve him faithfully with agape, the selfless serving and sharing love. The process of preparing, equipping and entrusting may cause distress in us just as Peter felt distressed, as Jesus asked three times whether he loves Him more than others. The first reading, tells us how the Spirit of the Risen Lord, transformed Peter, from a fearful man into a brave witness to the resurrection, to feed and lead His flock. This is what happens when God works in us.

This gospel passage shows how God works throughout history. In the Old Testament, God identified Himself as the Good Shepherd and Jesus also identified himself as Good Shepherd and he transferred that role to Peter. This position of authority given to Peter was recognized by his fellow apostles, and by the first Christians. In the face of many evidences, no serious historians can doubt, that the other Apostles and the first Christians saw in Peter the living head of the Church, the representative of Christ. The church in the succeeding generations and centuries, saw the successor of Peter, and the living representative of Christ, as the occupant of the See of Rome, the bishophoric held by Peter, when he was martyred for the faith. It is being transferred to all of his successors and now has reached to our Holy Father Pope Francis. Sharing in his ministerial role, all bishops and parish priests, share that role of shepherding the flock, in their journey to eternal life, while all religious leaders share the same role in common.

Today, God, has brought us here to feed us with His own body and blood, so that we will be strengthened and grow towards our eternal life, making this earthly journey a divine experience. This divine food gives us strength to face any kind of hardships and persecutions for faith. This is the courage and strength shown by all those martyrs in the history and now including the recent martyrs in Yemen. This is the strength and courage we need to show in our daily life sufferings and pains for our faith and love. By our presence here today, to receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we are publicly showing our loyalty to Jesus. Through the reception of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we are professing our faith in the Divine Presence of Jesus, manifested in the Living Bread. By our presence here today, we are saying to Jesus, "My Lord, all authority is Yours! You are my Lord and my God! Guide me! I humbly obey Your commission!". Let us glorify God through our life in our actual living and working situations. God bless you.