Homily – May 29, 2009 – Seventh Week of Easter - Friday

The gospel passage today is supposed to have taken place after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and shortly before his ascension into heaven as one of the final acts of establishing a new community of believers sprung from an old one: believers in the Messiah who did show up on the scene, from the people of Israel who longed for the arrival of such a Messiah. [Jesus did not come, simply to "found a brand new 'church' of his own design" – the New People of God were directly linked and related to the Old People of God to which he himself belonged.]

The passage today is all about the primacy, the authority and the responsibilities to St. Peter (and his successors). Having made his decision (which was the Father's decision) as who would head the New Testament Church, Jesus basis Peter's willingness to be of service to him on love! "Do you love me?" he asks Peter, not once, but three times; this, for emphasis and definition; but also, this, as an opportunity for Peter to make restitution for his thrice-time denial of him the night before he died.

When Peter generously and genuinely and even affectionately affirms his love for Jesus, he is instructed to feed the lambs, tend the sheep, feed the sheep that belong to Jesus, as a true and authentic co-worker.

Even though the sheep of which Jesus speaks are not real "sheep" – in a sense they are more challenging than real sheep because each has free-will and need to be gently led in the right direction; they need to be fed truth from God so that they can think and act rightly; they need to be healed when wounded; forgiven when they commit offences against themselves and the flock as a whole; they need to be fed with the very life of the shepherd himself spiritually!

Peter, with the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, along with the other eleven would become fully "up to the task" of launching this new "ship of faith!" And, now it is up to the successors of Peter, and their helpers and indeed the descendants of the flock itself to be good and faithful members and courageous in the midst of a twisted and oftentimes depraved world in which the ship floats.

In the first reading today we see that God in truth does protect those he has chosen to deliver his gospel message of life, freedom and peace: not only the bishops and priests, but also and especially the lay faithful who are "in the trenches" everyday – the most opportune place to deliver the message. It does take courage, it does take faith; it does take the presence of the Spirit in a powerful way: but that is what the gifts of Pentecost – which we will celebrate beginning tomorrow evening - are all about!

Come, Holy Spirit come! Fill us with your gifts so that we can be each what God has called us to be as both sheep and shepherds.