Dear Lord God, in today’s Gospel Jesus heals Peter and sets him up above the other disciples to lead the creation of His Church… "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (This He said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) Today’s readings are filled with so much to meditate on, as I once again realize the fact that we are Spiritual beings in the physical form of our bodies while under the sun. And the You Lord God our source of source for all we really need, and Your source is made available to us through Jesus Christ who provides an example under the sun of how we are to let You be our source of all, all we do and all we seek to do. These bodies, which serve as temples for our spirits while are under the sun must be disciplined and under the sun is where and how we must learn to develop that discipline of our spiritual beings in preparation for eternity with You Lord God, for only in Him will we find the secrets to being spiritual beings. We must always watchful for His appearance for like the disciples we may not at first recognize Him, we must always be ready to open the door when He knocks. O Lord God continue the work You have begun in me, help me to break free of these physical wants and desires under the sun; the ambition, the pride, the need to be right, the selfishness, that lack of control that expresses itself in anger and unforgiveness. And lead me into that spiritual existence which shows itself as the fruit of the spirit; love, kindness, gentleness, forgiveness and selflessness. I ask this in the name of my teacher, my master, Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen
So blind are we in this mortal life, and so unaware of what will happen, so uncertain of even how we will think tomorrow, that God could not take vengeance on a man more easily in this world than by granting his own foolish wishes.
— St. Thomas Moore
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us." 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him." 40 So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
Bible Study: [17-42] A second action against the community is taken by the Sanhedrin in the arrest and trial of the Twelve; cf Acts 4:1-3. The motive is the jealousy of the religious authorities over the popularity of the apostles (Acts 5:17) who are now charged with the defiance of the Sanhedrin’s previous order to them to abandon their prophetic role (Acts 5:28; cf Acts 4:18). In this crisis the apostles are favored by a miraculous release from prison (Acts 5:18-24). (For similar incidents involving Peter and Paul, see Acts 12:6-11; 16:25-29.) The real significance of such an event, however, would be manifest only to people of faith, not to unbelievers; since the Sanhedrin already judged the Twelve to be inauthentic prophets, it could disregard reports of their miracles. When the Twelve immediately resumed public teaching, the Sanhedrin determined to invoke upon them the penalty of death (Acts 5:33) prescribed in Deut 13:6-10. Gamaliel’s advice against this course finally prevailed, but it did not save the Twelve from the punishment of scourging (Acts 5:40) in a last endeavor to shake their conviction of their prophetic mission. [34] Gamaliel: in Acts 22:3, Paul identifies himself as a disciple of this Rabbi Gamaliel I who flourished in Jerusalem between A.D. 25 and 50. [36-37] Gamaliel offers examples of unsuccessful contemporary movements to argue that if God is not the origin of this movement preached by the apostles it will perish by itself. The movement initiated by Theudas actually occurred when C. Cuspius Fadus was governor, A.D. 44-46. Luke’s placing of Judas the Galilean after Theudas and at the time of the census (see the note on Luke 2:1-2) is an indication of the vagueness of his knowledge of these events.
2 O LORD my God, I cried to thee for help, and thou hast healed me. 4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, 12 that my soul may praise thee and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever.
Bible Study: [Psalm 30] Of David, An individual thanksgiving in four parts: praise and thanks for deliverance and restoration (Psalm 30:2-4); an invitation to others to join in (Psalm 30:5-6); a flashback to the time before deliverance (Psalm 30:7-11); a return to praise and thanks (Psalm 30:12). Two sets of images recur: 1) going down, death, silence; 2) coming up, life, praising. God has delivered the psalmist from one state to the other. [4] Sheol … pit: the shadowy underworld residence of the spirits of the dead, here a metaphor for near death. [7] Complacent: untroubled existence is often seen as a source of temptation to forget God. Cf Deut 8:10-18; Hosea 13:6; Proverb 30:9. [10] in the stillness of Sheol no one gives you praise; let me live and be among your worshipers. Cf Psalm 6:6; 88:11-13; 115:17; Isaiah 38:18.
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!" 14 And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Bible Study: [1-14] The seer now describes a papyrus roll in God’s right hand (Rev 5:1) with seven seals indicating the importance of the message. A mighty angel asks who is worthy to open the scroll, i.e., who can accomplish God’s salvific plan (Rev 5:2). There is despair at first when no one in creation can do it (Rev 5:3-4). But the seer is comforted by an elder who tells him that Christ, called the lion of the tribe of Judah, has won the right to open it (Rev 5:5). Christ then appears as a Lamb, coming to receive the scroll from God (Rev 5:6-7), for which he is acclaimed as at a coronation (Rev 5:8-10). This is followed by a doxology of the angels (Rev 5:11-12) and then finally by the heavenly church united with all of creation (Rev 5:13-14). [1] A scroll: a papyrus roll possibly containing a list of afflictions for sinners (cf Ezekiel 2:9-10) or God’s plan for the world. Sealed with seven seals: it is totally hidden from all but God. Only the Lamb (Rev 5:7-9) has the right to carry out the divine plan. [5] The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David: these are the messianic titles applied to Christ to symbolize his victory; cf Rev 22:16; Genesis 49:9; Isaiah 11:1, 10; Matthew 1:1. [6] Christ is the Paschal Lamb without blemish, whose blood saved the new Israel from sin and death; cf Exodus 12; Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1 Peter 1:18-19. This is the main title for Christ in Rev, used twenty-eight times. Seven horns and seven eyes: Christ has the fullness (see the note on Rev 1:4) of power (horns) and knowledge (eyes); cf Zechariah 4:7. [Seven] spirits: as in Rev 1:4; 3:1; 4:5. [11] Countless: literally, "100,000,000 plus 1,000,000," used by the author to express infinity.
1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tibe’ri-as; and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan’a-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zeb’edee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No." 6 He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. 9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16 A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." 19 (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me."
Bible Study: [1-23 There are many non-Johannine peculiarities in this chapter, some suggesting Lucan Greek style; yet this passage is closer to John than John 7:53-8:11. There are many Johannine features as well. Its closest parallels in the synoptic gospels are found in Luke 5:1-11 and Matthew 14:28-31. Perhaps the tradition was ultimately derived from John but preserved by some disciple other than the writer of the rest of the gospel. The appearances narrated seem to be independent of those in John 20. Even if a later addition, the chapter was added before publication of the gospel, for it appears in all manuscripts. [2] Zebedee’s sons: the only reference to James and John in this gospel (but see the note on John 1:37). Perhaps the phrase was originally a gloss to identify, among the five, the two others of his disciples. The anonymity of the latter phrase is more Johannine (John 1:35). The total of seven may suggest the community of the disciples in its fullness. [3-6] This may be a variant of Luke’s account of the catch of fish; see the note on Luke 5:1-11. [9,12-13] It is strange that Jesus already has fish since none have yet been brought ashore. This meal may have had eucharistic significance for early Christians since John 21:13 recalls John 6:11 which uses the vocabulary of Jesus’ action at the Last Supper; but see also the note on Matthew 14:19. [11] The exact number 153 is probably meant to have a symbolic meaning in relation to the apostles’ universal mission; Jerome claims that Greek zoologists catalogued 153 species of fish. Or 153 is the sum of the numbers from 1 to 17. Others invoke Ezekiel 47:10. [12] None . . . dared to ask him: is Jesus’ appearance strange to them? Cf Luke 24:16; Mark 16:12; John 20:14. The disciples do, however, recognize Jesus before the breaking of the bread (opposed to Luke 24:35). [14] This verse connects John 20 and 21; cf John 20:19, 26. [15-23] This section constitutes Peter’s rehabilitation and emphasizes his role in the church. [15-17] In these three verses there is a remarkable variety of synonyms: two different Greek verbs for love (see the note on John 15:13); two verbs for feed/tend; two nouns for sheep; two verbs for know. But apparently there is no difference of meaning. The threefold confession of Peter is meant to counteract his earlier threefold denial (John 18:17, 25, 27). The First Vatican Council cited these verses in defining that Jesus after his resurrection gave Peter the jurisdiction of supreme shepherd and ruler over the whole flock. [15] More than these: probably "more than these disciples do" rather than "more than you love them" or "more than you love these things [fishing, etc.]." [18] Originally probably a proverb about old age, now used as a figurative reference to the crucifixion of Peter.
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