How do we recognize God working in our lives, and what do we do when we do?
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus appears to a group of apostles at the Sea of Tiberias, and of course they do not recognize him at first. It’s only when they see the abundance of fish he prompts them to pull in that they realize who is present before them. That’s their first gesture of metanoia, or conversion, turning back to Jesus from their simple task of fishing to embrace his message, and his mission.
Peter’s metanoia is even more striking. Clearly grappling with his triple denial of Jesus during Jesus’ Passion, Peter is gently interrogated by Jesus. Three times, Jesus asks him, Do you love me? And three times, Peter responds, Yes! Through his questions, Jesus opens the door and allows Peter to move forward, to choose conversion, metanoia, leaving him free to be a witness to the power of Jesus’ love in his life.
And indeed, we see Peter doing just that in our reading from Acts. In the midst of the temple precincts, challenged by the Sanhedrin, Peter and the apostles reaffirm their faith, winning over people in large numbers. We are witnesses, Peter says: witnesses to the death and rising of Jesus that offers Israel a new chance at metanoia and forgiveness. And the effect of the apostles’ preaching is powerful: many converts embrace this new message, recognizing God at work in their lives, and spreading the Good News.
The Book of Revelation solidifies this message: like the angels and the living creatures and the elders, we too are invited to join in the cosmic affirmation of praise of the one who has suffered and been victorious, to enter into Jesus’ death and rising, and to proclaim our commitment to the Lamb. As we grown in understanding of what God is doing in our lives, as we recognize his Love working in us, we are invited to metanoia, and thereby, to a greater relationship, a deeper bond, born of God’s redemptive power and fostered by our commitment to be witnesses to Christ, in our hearts and in our words. Like the psalmist, may our mourning be changed to dancing, to a boundless inner joy we simply can’t contain…
This reflection is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
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