May 4, Third Sunday of Easter, John 21:1-19
Jesus appears to the disciples as they fish on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus stood on the shore and called out to the men in the boat asking if they had caught anything. The disciples replied that they had caught nothing. When their nets are filled to breaking, they know from this abundance that Jesus must be the one on the shore calling to them. They share breakfast with Jesus on the beach, and then in one of the most poignant scenes in the Bible, Jesus returns to Peter the three chances he missed on the night Jesus was betrayed to profess his love and loyalty to Jesus. In spite of Peter’s earlier failures, Jesus entrusts Peter with the task of caring for the sheep, the ones that Jesus has called into his flock.
May 11, Fourth Sunday of Easter, John 10:22-30
This Sunday is often called Good Shepherd Sunday.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Those who hear his voice will follow him. Once a person responds to the invitation, he or she belongs to God forever. No one can snatch a follower of Jesus from God’s hand.
May 18, Fifth Sunday of Easter , John 13:31-35
During the last supper that Jesus shared with the disciples, he pointed toward his future glory after his death and resurrection when he would be reunited with his Father in heaven. “Where I am going, you cannot come.” He also gave the disciples a command: to love one another. But the disciples didn’t have to figure out how to do this on their own. Jesus told them to love one another in the same way he had loved them.
May 25, Sixth Sunday of Easter, John 14:23-29
John 14:23-29 is part of Jesus’ farewell discourse. Jesus’ answers Judas’s (not the one who betrayed him) question about how Jesus will manifest himself to the disciples but not to the world? The question echoes the hope for an unmistakable external occurrence to convince the world. The disciples hoped for the coming of the Messiah to do this; the early Church counted on Jesus’ second coming. The passage is intended to give assurance to a young and persecuted community.
Jesus promised the disciples that after his return to God, the Holy Spirit would live within them and provide strength and courage. The Spirit would always be available to help them as a counselor and advocate. Through the Spirit, they would recall the words and teachings of Jesus and even come to understand these things in a way that they could not before. In addition, the disciples would receive the peace that passes all understanding.