Third Sunday of Easter/C
Massimo Palombella
Today’s Gospel (Jn 21:1-19) recounts Jesus’ encounter with the apostles after the resurrection with Peter’s triple manifestation of love for Jesus.
Peter and the other apostles, confused by what has happened with the passion and death of Jesus, somehow decide to return to the life before the encounter with Jesus himself. In fact, they go back to catching fish (and not “men” as Jesus had indicated to Peter) and in this “regression” they do not succeed. In Peter and in the apostles there is each one of us every time that, frightened and tired, we take refuge in what apparently gives us security, gives us a pseudo-identity and allows us, in some way, to “survive”.
And it is precisely in this situation that the Lord is waiting for us to lead us back to the truth, to our true identity, taking us by the hand, as he did with Peter, and leading us – not without effort and tears – to return to our love, to what makes our life worth living.
The text of the first Alleluia of today’s celebration is taken from chapter 24 of Luke’s Gospel (Lk 24:35) with the following text:
Alleluia. Cognoverunt discipuli Dominum Jesum in fractione panis.
(Alleluia. The disciples recognized the Lord Jesus at the breaking of the bread).
The attached music, in Gregorian Chant, is taken from the Graduale Triplex published in Solesmes in 1979. The music track can be found on YouTube where there is no indication of interpretation.
A blessed Sunday and heartfelt greetings.
