The following is a reflection written by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, for the third Sunday of Easter, May 1, 2022.
“It is something within us that doesn’t let us sleep,
that doesn’t let us rest,
that won’t stop pounding
deep inside. . .No, brother,
it is not the noise in the streets
which does not let us sleep. . .Join us in this vigil
Julia Esquivel
and you will know what it is to dream!
Then you will know how marvelous it is
to live threatened with Resurrection!” 1
These words “threatened with Resurrection,” are the title of a poem written in 1980 by Julia Esquivel, a Guatemalan poet-theologian and peace activist. These words were written during the persecution of peasants, human rights activists, and church workers. The image evokes what David Weiss calls “a holy irony.” He says in his blog “for Christians, to live under near constant threat of death is to be “threatened with Resurrection.”2
And while Julia Esquivel’s words were written 42 years ago, it seems to me that today, right now, we Christians gathered here and around the world are “threatened with Resurrection.” For do not we, too, live under near constant threat of death? A worldwide plague, a dying planet, wars raging in Europe and Africa, senseless death by guns, racial tensions, you can add your own concerns here. I will wait.
But we do not see death as the end of our story. It was not the end of Jesus’ story, nor was it the end of Peter’s story, nor John’s, nor any of disciples. And so even in our times—times like these— it is not the end of our story. “We go on loving life” (these five words are drawn from Esquivel’s’ poem as well.) We go on in this “marathon of Hope” because we believe in resurrection, we hold fast to it, it calls us forward. She says:
“Because in this marathon of Hope,
there are always others to relieve us
who carry the strength
to reach the finish line
which lies beyond death.”
In the readings we have just heard there are several people who have been threatened with resurrection. The High Priests are certainly threatened with it—in their own way. Peter and the apostles are threatened with resurrection to the point of flogging because they will not stop speaking about Jesus and His works. And the disciples, who returned to the only thing they knew how to do, were threatened with resurrection—being caught unawares with 153 fish and a charcoal fire and the servant-Jesus offering not a last supper this time, but a first breakfast on the beach—another Eucharistic meal.
And Peter, dear embarrassed Peter, was threatened with a forgiveness that echoed his betrayal. The three questions and Jesus’ response were not lost on Peter, and he was threatened with resurrection, with hope.
And so, we too who have been threatened with resurrection—we go on “loving life,” go on living this “holy irony.” We are threatened with resurrection every time we act when God’s law and human-made-law collide…when we write letters, or send emails or make phone calls, or carry banners in protest…we are threatened with resurrection. Every time we repent of having white privilege, or male privilege or clerical privilege or nun privilege or every time we kneel and ask forgiveness of Mother Earth for polluting her oceans or raping her mountains, we are threatened with resurrection. Every time we ask forgiveness of a life partner or a community member or a business associate, we are threatened with resurrection because we are trying to go on living life. We are running in this “marathon of hope.” And again, as Esquivel says:
“In this Marathon of Hope
there are always others to relieve us
who carry the strength
to reach the finish line
which lies beyond death.”
But…who are those others who will relieve us? They are the young ones who run around this church when we gather, who go out for children’s church to learn the Word as they can. They are the ones who come to our summer peace camps, who are presented for baptism in this sanctuary, who live at Casa Latina, who come to the clinic in our sister parish in Esquipulas. They will relieve us; they will have the strength to reach the finish line which lies beyond our death.
But, I wonder, can we accept Esquivel’s challenge now when she cries out:
“No, brother,
it is not the noise in the streets
which does not let us sleep. . .Join us in this vigil
and you will know what it is to dream!
Then you will know how marvelous it is
to live threatened with Resurrection!”
- Julia Esquivel, Threatened with Resurrection: Prayers and Poems from an Exiled Guatemalan (Brethren Press, 1982)
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/41552 - Threatened with Resurrection David R. Weiss – May 16, 2019, The Gospel in Transition #25
https://davidrweiss.com/2019/05/17/threatened-with-resurrection/
At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jesus said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
Jn 21: 1-19
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jesus said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
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