THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER – YEAR C 4TH MAY 2025

In the Gospel, the disciples spend an entire night fishing but catch nothing. As morning breaks, Jesus stands on the shore of the sea of Tiberias. Yet, they do not recognize Him. Only when their net overflows with fish does the beloved disciple finally realize: “It is the lord!” Why this blindness? The resurrection had not yet fully transformed their understanding. Faith is a journey. The disciples did not instantly understand. But step by step, experience by experience, they grew. And so must we. Jesus is not absent- He is here, in the midst of our daily lives, calling us to deeper trust, greater expectation, and unwavering faith.

FROM GROWTH TO WITNESS: OUR FAITHFUL CALLING

The journey of faith is not one of instant perfection but of gradual transformation. We all begin with the love we are capable of, hesitant and unsure, much like Peter at first. Yet, if we persevere, if we surrender to God`s grace, our love deepens- it moves beyond mere affection into a love that is willing to sacrifice, even unto death. Simon Peter, once fearful and wavering, ultimately laid down his life for Christ. His   journey is a testament to the power of god to transform weakness into strength, doubt into conviction, and fear into bold witness.

But what holds me back from bearing witness to Jesus? Is it pride- a fear that I will fall short of my own expectations or those of others? Or is it fear of suffering, of rejection, of standing alone in a world that may ridicule or oppose my faith. God does His greatest work not through human strength but through weakness. It was on the cross, in the moment of greatest suffering and seeming defeat, that God brought about the greatest victory.

If I believe that God has called me to be His witness, do I also believe that He has equipped me for the task? That I am never alone in my mission, but that the Holy Spirit is already at work- going before me, standing beside me, working through me? To be a witness does not mean to be fearless- it means to trust. It means to step forward even when I feel inadequate, knowing that god will supply what I lack. It means to love, not only in word but in action, until my life itself becomes a testimony to the one who first loved me.

Am I willing to take that step? To trust that God will make of me what I cannot make of myself? To say, as peter ultimately did, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you”- and then follow wherever He Leads?