This is the second week of a message series for the Easter Season called
“Ground-breaking”. It is a unique series for us because of its double meaning.
First, in just a little over a month we are actually going to be breaking
ground on a 1500sq. ft expansion which is part of our Generations campaign.
This new space on to the front of our Church will connect and complete our
campus and provide us with additional space for groups, activities and our
growing Family of Faith. (See the drawings in Parish Centre). Second - we are
in the Season which celebrates the most ground breaking event in history –
Easter.
A ground breaking describes
something that has never been seen or done or even thought of before - its
pioneering. Usually is surprises and shocks and maybe shapes culture or
redefines the way people live or work. Something ground breaking changes
stuff....and certainly Easter was that..... it changed things.... it was
groundbreaking - the impact is still being felt today
This first week we look at
that heart of the ground-breaking of the Resurrection is the fact of its a new
vision - one of Mercy. In
this second week we take a look at Fear and how we can overcome up due to the
Resurrection of Jesus by making three things a part of our life – the call to “feed,
tend, go”
Listen
to this wonderful song by JJ Week Band
– “Alive in Me”.
Feel free to listen to the Lord’s Day Message
In the Gospel, we continue from the introduction above, after the Apostles recognized Jesus, “It is the Lord!” Jesus has some unfinished business to clear up with Peter. After Jesus was arrested, Peter (fearful of being arrested) cursed and swore, and three times denied that he did not know Jesus. “I do not know him!” So Jesus asked him three times “Peter, do you love me more than these?” The word ‘these’ is not clear. It could mean ‘these fishing boats and nets’. Are you willing to leave these worldly things behind, and follow me? (as in any call to the Priesthood and Religious Life?) Or it could mean ‘these other Apostles’. Peter humbly answered, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” And Jesus answered three times “Feed my lambs (sheep).” Jesus confirms the Call of Peter, the “Rock”, who now holds the keys to the Kingdom of God, to be in charge of his fellow Apostles (bishops) and the people of God (the Church). These triple questions relate to Peter’s triple denial of Jesus.
In the Gospel, we continue from the introduction above, after the Apostles recognized Jesus, “It is the Lord!” Jesus has some unfinished business to clear up with Peter. After Jesus was arrested, Peter (fearful of being arrested) cursed and swore, and three times denied that he did not know Jesus. “I do not know him!” So Jesus asked him three times “Peter, do you love me more than these?” The word ‘these’ is not clear. It could mean ‘these fishing boats and nets’. Are you willing to leave these worldly things behind, and follow me? (as in any call to the Priesthood and Religious Life?) Or it could mean ‘these other Apostles’. Peter humbly answered, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” And Jesus answered three times “Feed my lambs (sheep).” Jesus confirms the Call of Peter, the “Rock”, who now holds the keys to the Kingdom of God, to be in charge of his fellow Apostles (bishops) and the people of God (the Church). These triple questions relate to Peter’s triple denial of Jesus.
After Peter confirms three times, “Yes Lord, You know
that I love you!” Jesus said, “Follow me!” We often need to confirm our call to
follow Jesus, “Here I am Lord. I come to do your Will!”
In this “year of Mercy” Pope
Francis reminds us that Jesus is not so much interested in our sins, but in our
knowing that we have a loving and merciful Father. Is this love mutual?
This is the single most important question any lover can ask of the one loved.
Peter’s “Yes” empowered him to build God’s Church. Do we hear the question? Do we
have a response? Do we bring God’s love and mercy to others? Remember, God
works through us.
Mercy –
or Misericordia - is derived from two Latin words - miserere (pity or
misere) and cor (heart). When we ask for God’s mercy we are essentially asking
God to relieve us of a heart that is in misery, and our heart can be in misery
not just because of sin, but from the deep hurt caused by a broken relationship
with a family member, from physical or mental illness, from losing a job, being
betrayed, used or abandoned rom spiritual or physical poverty
If we
think of Mercy as being relieved from a heart of misery - than each of us has
experienced Mercy a lot more than we think. Mercy paves
the way for peace with self, with others, with God. Mercy roots us in peace. A
peace that comes from within. A peace that comes from Him and is founded on His
principles. Without this peace we live as people of judgement, we live as
people who are self-absorbed, we live lives that are self centered and we live
without happiness or joy.
But each day in our life there can be moments without
happiness or joy. Life is filled with many difficulties and challenges that cause us to be
fearful. Each day we are confronted with many events that may cause us to
become apprehensive. Going to a new school; starting a new job; having to take
the car in for repairs on the busiest day of the week; dealing with a computer
virus; missing an important deadline at work; getting laid off from work;
coping with a child's sudden illness; these are just some of the many things
that happen each day that may cause us to be filled with fear, sick with
apprehension. And sometimes, when the pain is deep and real we can even be
tempted to ask “Does God love me?”
When Jesus and Peter dialogued about it (Gospel), the Resurrected Lord knew the heart of a fragile Peter who was dealing with the confusion of everything in his life now that Jesus had died and this ground-breaking story of the resurrection did not yet make sense. So Jesus says - when Fear is a Factor don’t ask if God loves me - but rather get out of the board and be someone who show love for God. Jesus says - if you love Him - then we must be people who feed, tend, go
Feed
– The Eucharist is the place where we are fed. In His Body and Blood, Jesus
becomes food for our journey. This food (Himself) carries us and nourishes us
in the moments when we question the plan, purpose or providence that is before
us. This is why embracing the Eucharist weekly on the Lord’s Day is so vital.
This is also why we should not be shy about inviting others to be with us at
Mass, and even embracing the fact that our presence (and witness) to each other
at Mass by weekly attendance is a powerful and encouraging!
Tend
– To tend is to care for. We need to be people who tend to one another. Who
care for one another. Small groups are a way of doing this, but our small
groups must not be cliques of exclusive care, but always remain intimate and
inviting. Small groups should also be on the same page as the wider parish –
not doing their own thing – but connected to the community which gathers on the
Lord’s Day. Likewise, we tend by reaching out – Ministers of Communion to the
Sick, Ministry of Compassion, Neighbourhood Ministry – are all ways in our
parish we care for others in their moment of need.
Go
–
We are about being called and sent. Haiti, Kenya, Toronto, Hamilton – but also
go and witnessing in our school, office, gym, grocery store, library and even
the waiting line. These are all missionary fields where we can make a
difference. Do we?
But here is the ground breaking reality! If we feed tend, go....then we
also begin to live as people without fear!
•
If we are being Fed by
God - then we are trusting Him and fear is not a factor- ground breaking
•
If we are Tending to
Others then we are less prone to be focussed on self - ground breaking
• If we go to our mission field is not just Haiti, Hamilton and Toronto - but
people in your workplace, neighbourhood and school - and invest and invite in
them - we tend to be less about what we
can’t do and more about what God is doing - ground breaking
Focus not
on Fear but rather Concentrate on being a people feed tend, go...