19 April 2026

19 April 2026 - Third Sunday of Easter

Transcript

Reflect:   

Last weekend we started our series on the first letter of St. Peter. I quoted the opening two verses of his letter: “to the chosen sojourners of the dispersion…” And this weekend we have the word “sojourning” in our reading. We also have the idea of the blood of Christ being more valuable than gold or silver, and gold was also part of last week’s homily. So Peter keeps feeding us the same points. I think it is important to understand the process that Peter is writing about.

Our reading this weekend is an opening attempt by St. Peter to describe for us the fullness of ourplace in the kingdom of God – as the children of God. He starts this part of his letter by referencing the Father. “If you invoke as Father…” 

If? 

He is starting off by telling us that we are to pray the Our Father. In fact, early Christianity believed it was necessary – necessary – to pray the Our Father at least three times a day! So St. Peter is reminding his readers – us – that we must rely on who the Father is and what he has done in sending Jesus as our Savior. But he is also quick to add what kind of a Judge this Father is. He judges impartially “according to each one’s works.” I’ll come back to that.

Then he states the consequences of our considering God as our Father: “conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct…”

What is reverence? It is another word used for one of the gifts of the Spirit: the fear of the Lord. Now… it is time for a review. The fear of the Lord does not mean being “afraid of God.” It is as far from that as we can possibly imagine. Reverence, awe, amazement… What other words can we use? They all apply to how we are supposed to approach God Himself. But probably among the least used words connected with this “fear of the Lord” is simply love of God. Combine all of these words into a single… attitude. Reverence, awe, amazement, love – this is the “fear of the Lord!”

Apply:   

I think we all need an attitude adjustment. (Bad joke.) And this takes us back to arranging in our lives the last line of our reading from Saint Peter today. We go back to the theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity (which is the love of God). It was just a couple weeks ago if you remember I had the Catholic calisthenics connected with the theological virtues. Six words: faith believes, hope receives, and charity sustains. Don’t be too surprised if you hear that again… and again… and again.

But let’s stay with charity, since it seems to be the one that St. Peter is referencing for us. It is an important idea to see in this virtue of “fear of the Lord” St. Peter’s reference to reverence. St. Peter is giving us in our reading today not just this call to reverence as a response of love, but is giving us the reason for our hope. Remember: hope receives. It is the process by which we grow in love for God. These theological virtues fold over one another and intertwine in how they develop. As we grow in one, we grow in others. But, it is reverence for God – love for God – divine charity lived in our lives – that sustains us in our walk toward God. Charity sustains. And hope is the virtue that enables us to receive this love of God and to share it. Hope receives.

A short advertisement: praying the Our Father with great attention and reverence leads us into a much deeper life in Christ. I am doing this series on St. Peter’s first letter, but I probably need to do something on the Our Father as well. That sounds like a summer series.

So, let’s go back to St. Peter again. We have just finished the season of Lent when we recall that Jesus paid for our redemption with the price of his blood. It is something that God chose to do in the fullness of time – St. Peter says, “in the final time” – to bring about our salvation. This is our perpetual Easter message: Jesus has been raised from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father which is theplace of glory and honor.

Now, as I said earlier, let’s go back to the very beginning of our reading for today. Because I think it is important to remember that God the Father is a Judge who judges impartially. His impartiality led him to send his Son to die for us as a spotless unblemished lamb. But it was not just his death that we focus on. It is even more important to recall that he was also raised from the dead. By His death we have been redeemed. By His resurrection we have been sanctified.

Let me finish by quoting from Jesus himself: “do not live in fear little flock, it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.” Live in reverence, not fear. Amen? Amen.

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