If You Love Me, Then Feed My Lambs, Tend My Sheep - by Ronnie Archer

Third Sunday of Easter

On this, the third Sunday of Easter, we hear of another appearance of the Risen Jesus to His apostles. We also hear in today's reading, as well as the past weekdays of Easter, how the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and "bore witness to Jesus Christ." We read of the wonders done at the hands of the apostles, and the jealousy and anger of the religious authorities over how popular they were becoming among the people.

Today in Acts, we hear again how they were given "strict orders" to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. The apostles "rejoiced" at being found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of Jesus' name.

We hear in today's second reading how Jesus was revealed to John, as the Sacrificial Lamb, who was the only One worthy to open the scroll of God.

Today's Gospel reading from St. John gives the account of Jesus' appearance again to His disciples, on the Sea of Tiberias.

The apostles had gone back to their former way of life, being fishermen. While they had been out in the boat all night, they caught nothing. Jesus, standing on the shore, told them to cast their nets over the right side of the boat... and "you will find something." They did as told, and sure enough, Simon Peter dragged the net in with an abundance of fish.

Upon leaving the boat, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it; and Jesus invited them to bring some of the fish they had just caught. Giving them bread, He told them to "come have breakfast." None asked Him who He was, because they realized it was the Lord.

The apostles had probably lost hope, and felt a sense of hopelessness and abandonment, but when Jesus intervened, they were successful.

After they had finished eating, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him? Peter answered "yes," to two of those questions, but the third time, he said, "Lord, You know everything, You know I love You." After each of Peter's responses, Jesus told him to "Feed My Lambs," to "Tend and Feed My Sheep."

This was the same Peter who had denied Jesus three times. Yes, Jesus does "know everything" as Peter responded to Jesus' third question, but Jesus wanted to see the transformation of Peter and sometimes God wants to hear our response.

We have to do our part to show how much we love God by putting our words into actions; we just simply cannot say we love Him. Love has to be shown by "feeding and tending" His lambs/sheep.

At times, we too, like the apostles, might feel a sense of "hopelessness and abandonment"... but the Easter readings all tell us that the Risen Lord is always with us.

God has not brought us this far in life to abandon us either. Sometimes there might not be anything more that we feel that we can do; but in spite of our feelings, we have to do our part and continue to hope and push on. In His own time, God will intervene and "fill our nets."

We must think about what Jesus is asking us to do in our own lives.

My prayer is to be more aware of, and use the opportunities that come my way to "Feed and Tend His Sheep."