Third Sundayof Easter-C

Third Sunday-C1
Good evening/morning every one, I am so happy to see you all and I come from the best church in Lakefield called St. Paul the Apostle Church.
Once a woman died and as she was entering into heaven, the angel that was standing at the door said, "Before entering into heaven, you suppose to spell a word". She said, "what word". The angel said, "Spell love". she said, "L...o..v...e". Then the angel said, "You may enter into heaven now... and by the way, I am going to have a break,  why don't you stand at the door and if anyone comes just ask to spell a simple word and let the person in.." Thus she was standing at the door. Imagine who came to heaven, her ex-husband. she looked at him and said, "What are you doing here?' He said, "I took a heart attack and here I am. Am I in heaven?" She said, "Not yet my ex-husband, not yet... you suppose to spell a word before entering into heaven". He said, "what word?" She looked at him and said, "Spell  Czechoslovakia".
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
1. When Mary Magdalen saw the empty tomb, she was so confused and began to cry. What happened while she was crying? As she was crying, Jesus the Only Son of God Himself apeared to her and said, " woman, why are you crying? and whom are you looking for? she, thinking he was a gardener, said, "Sir, if you have carried Jesus away, tell me where you have laid him and I will go and take him with me". Then the risen Christ called her by name saying, "Mary". Then only she recognized the risen Christ. Jesus the Lord appeared to her while whe was in pain and loney. Christ the Lord appeared to her while she was grieving and was struggling to cope with suffering.
When we grieve of losing someone dear to us, we might think that we are alone and God abandoned us. But the risen Christ never leaves any of His Children alone. He comes us to in an unexpected time to console and comfort us. As children of God, we will never be alone and He is always with us.
The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
2. The another resurrection story is about the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. While they were travelling, they looked sad and were suffering, because the Jesus in whome they put all their trust and hope was gone. While they were travelling, Jesus Himself joined them and explained everything about Himself beginning from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Then they recognized Christ in the breaking of the bread and as Jesus vanished from their sight, they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us" "Were not our faith increasing while He explained the Scriputres to us".
when we are saddened and are struggling with our faith, we will never be left unanswered, the risen Christ will definately join us and thus increase our faith in Him. When we question our faith, doubt our spiritual practices, we will never be left alone but Christ will inspire us through His words and make us stronger.
 The resurrection stories tell us that Christ loves us more than anybody else in the universe and there is no end for His unconditional love.
3. Last weekend, we heard the story of the apostles hiding behind locked doors for the fear of authority and we also heard about Thomas saying, "unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nail and my hand in his side, I will not believe" When Christ appeared and gave them all divine peace and said to Thomas, "Do not dout but believe and continued saying, "Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have come to believe".
And in today's gospel, we see the second calling of Simon Peter whom Christ called him at the sea of Galilee saying, "Come and follow me". He immediately left everything behind and followed our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ gave him a new name peter and made him His apostle. When Christ asked His disciples at Ceasarea Philipi who they were saying Christ was, Simon Peter was the one who said, "Jesus, you are the Messiah, the Only Son of God". When many of His followers left Him because he said his flesh was the real food and His blood was the true drink, Jesus asked his disciples whether they also wished to go away from Him and that time Simon Peter was the one who came forwared and said, "Jesus, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life" and the same Simon Peter was the one who denied Christ three times. And in today's gospel we see how Simon Peter expresses his threefold love for Christ. Then happens the second calling. After His confesison, Christ askes to follow Him.
Conclusion: It's human nature to go away from the Lord and it's our human nature to fall into the same sin again and again and it's our human nutre to doubt and question our faith but at the same time, when we come back, Christ will never abandon us. Instead He will love us more and more. So let us celebrate the resurrection of Christ...and celebrate our life in the risen Christ. Alleluia.