Sister Kate’s “Gospel Question of the Week” (John 21: 1-19) …Weekend of 4/13-14 … Third Sunday of Easter Fr. Mark Link S.J. once told an incident that happened during the great depression (1929-1939). Jobs were scarce and when an opening was announced, dozens of applicants applied. On this particular occasion, they crowded into a waiting room, eager to be interviewed for the position of telegraph operator. But the noise of their conversation competed against a steady background of dots and dashes. Suddenly, the door opened and yet another applicant entered the room. After standing there quietly for a moment listening attentively to the dots and dashes, he walked to a door marked “Private” and knocked. The personnel director opened the door and announced to the others, “You may all go now; this applicant has the job.” Furious and frustrated, the others demanded an explanation. At that, the director said, “Listen!” When the room became quiet, all heard the dots and dashes, repeating over and over the same message, “If you hear this, come in; the job is yours.” What a great story! The message of the story underlines the message of this weekend’s Holy Gospel passage. That message is simply this…God is constantly speaking to us, but, like the crowd of applicants in this story, we are not always listening. Today’s Holy Gospel describes how the Risen Lord attempted to reveal Himself to his “listening and observant apostles” through a miraculous catch of fish, making breakfast for them, and asking Peter the same question three times… “Do you love me?” Overall, the Gospel tells the post-resurrection story of our newly risen Savior who goes in search of his band of disappointed and dejected disciples. The incident described in the Gospel passage emphasizes that Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances were not mere hallucinations. There are two distinct “stories” and messages in the Gospel today. In the first part of today’s Gospel, the risen Jesus appears to his disciples and cleverly “symbolizes their mission” (“catching men”) by a miraculous catch of fish followed by a “fish fry dinner” prepared by Jesus. The second part of the Gospel is a dialogue between Jesus and Simon Peter where Peter is asked three times whether he loves Jesus (could this be a mirror of the three times he denied Jesus in the courtyard?). The two “jobs” used in the story, namely fishing and shepherding are duties of the Church referring to her missionary and evangelizing work. Peter as a forgiven sinner is chosen as a leader in a community of friends, for the quality of his love. As his primary mission he is given the care of the vulnerable lambs and sheep and he is told that the fidelity to this mission will lead him to martyrdom. Would you take the job, given this description? Peter knew that he wouldn’t be taking on this “job” in isolation. He would have the strength of the Holy Spirit and of the Christian community to assist him in sharing the Good News of Jesus.…these are the same “helps” we rely on in carrying out our mission as Christians! We can be certain that the Risen Lord himself leads and directs his Church today, through his Holy Spirit, who encouraged and guided the apostles and their successors, down through the ages in their missionary endeavors. As the Christian community, we have the responsibility of supporting one another as we journey through life. The road may be long and often arduous…but we can make it with the help of the Lord and one another. GOSPEL QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Are you sincerely ready to take on living…really living…the Christian life?