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Much Obliged

This is a summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily delivered at St. Charles on April 25, 2004

"He jumped into the sea." John 21: 1-19

OFTEN AT WEDDING RECEPTIONS following a Saturday afternoon nuptial mass a guest will ask, “Father, does this cover for Sunday?” “No” or “Follow your conscience” are answers that can cast a pall over a happy occasion.

Often it seems that Catholics are overly focussed on the obligations of religion. Do we do things just out of duty? Is that the reason we participate more during Lent, a season of discipline and restriction? After Easter Sunday we observe a thinning of the ranks at many Masses. Like Mel Gibson we dwell on the scourging and the wounds of Calvary. The nails and the guilt claim our attention. We slowly learn that the dying of Jesus needs to give way to resurrection. Easter is not just a day. It is a season that goes all of fifty days to Pentecost. It is a season of joy. Life has triumphed over death. Can we believe the saying, “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God”.

In my last parish in Banica in the Dominican Republic I drove a white jeep, “La Guagua Blanca.” On the outskirts of the village I needed to slow down for la policia acostada, the sleeping policemen or ramps. A little boy named Carlito would see me coming and rush out of his house in time to jump up and down singing; “Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!” He associated the jeep and the priest with the liturgy. For him Mass was a time of joyous praise. I cannot think of a more faith-filled greeting or a happier association with priesthood.

All of us are called to be an Alleluia People. We need to shed our duty-bound attitude to take on an aspect of enthusiasm.

This is what we find in this Sunday’s Gospel. Peter and his companions seemed to have abandoned hope in the days after Calvary. They had quit their apostolate to go back to what they knew, fishing. Jesus sought them out. Weary from their fishing he greeted them on the lakeside with a charcoal fire, fish and bread, and “Come and have breakfast.” This informal meal had none of the solemnity of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper scene. It was more like a picnic. The response of Peter was to jump in to the sea.

May we join Carlito and Peter in joy-filled faith. Alleluia.

  or  2004 Homilies