Homily for May 5

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Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter
Scriptures for today's Mass

Let me begin with a question.  It’s not a hard question.

I believe you all know the right answer.

THE question is:  DOES JESUS LOVE YOU?    And the answer is: YES!

How much does he love you?

Enough to give his life for you and for me on the Cross.

But let’s turn the question around.

This question might not be as easy to answer as my first question.

And my second question is this:  DO YOU LOVE JESUS?

That’s just the question Jesus asked Simon in the gospel today:

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?

And Jesus asked that question of Simon not just once,

not twice - but three times!

And remember: it was only a few days before thise

that Simon Peter had three times DENIED that he even knew Jesus.

And he denied that he knew him

when Jesus was in is hour of greatest need.

Right when Jesus most needed a friend,

his friend denied even knowing him.

So here on the beach, Jesus gives Simon Peter a second chance.

Actually he gives him THREE second chances

to declare his love for his friend.

And each time Peter declares his love,

Jesus asks him to do something:

to feed his lambs and sheep, that is:

to care for others as Jesus cares for us.

We have, all of us, in our own ways, denied Jesus.

Every time we sin we deny Jesus and his love for us.

But the Lord gives us a second chance, too.

He comes back and asks, DO YOU LOVE ME?

And when we tell him we do - he asks us to do something

            to show our love for him.

So he might come to you, Bill.

He might come and say:

Bill, do you love me? Lord, you know that I love you!

Then, take a few minutes every day to speak to me in prayer…

Kathy, do you love me?        Lord, you know that I love you!

Then try to be a little more patient with others,

especially with those you love the most.

Tom, do you love me?           Lord, you know that I love you!

Then you need to be more fair and honest

at work and in your business practice.

Chris, do you love me?          Lord, you know that I love you!

Then I need you  let go your resentment and bitterness

and work harder on forgiving that one person

who has hurt you and annoys you so much.

Julie, do you love me?           Lord, you know that I love you!

Then open up your circle of friends and invite inside

those individuals you’ve excluded, made fun of and bullied.

Bill, do you love me? Lord, you know that I love you!

Then put a filter on your computer and stay away from those sites     

you wouldn’t want others to know you’re looking at.

Karen, do you love me?        Lord, you know that I love you!

Then see if you can be more generous with your time

and more generous in reaching out to those in need.

Dave, do you love me?          Lord, you know that I love you!

Then, get off your butt on the weekend and get to church

and spend some time thanking me for all you have,

asking me for what you need

and growing stronger in your faith.

Coming to mass today is like joining Jesus on the beach in the gospel

and having breakfast with him,

except that this is not the Lord’s breakfast,

this is the Lord’s Supper.

And for many of us, for very many of us,

it’s a child who has brought us to the shore, to this church,

to this altar;

it’s a child, a First Communicant, who has brought us to Jesus;

it’s a child, who brings us to Jesus today,

who brings us to Jesus who asks each of us,

DO YOU LOVE ME?

Pray with me that with these boys and girls,

receiving Communion for the first time,

we’ll all be able to answer,

YES, LORD - YOU KNOW EVERYTHING…

YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU…

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