Third Sunday of Easter, C

Rev. Michael Wurtz, CSC
April 18, 2010
Notre Dame Architecture Rome Chapel

As a Holy Cross priest it was a real joy to be back at Notre Dame this past Saturday for the ordination of Frs. Gerry Olinger and Kevin Grove. Fr. Gerry went to ND as an undergrad in Morrissey Hall and then to ND Law School. Fr. Kevin, having been educated by the Jesuits at Seattle University, joined Holy Cross thereafter.

At a party afterward I met a parishioner of St. Joseph Parish who is an architect and told me that he had studied in the ND Architecture Program many, many years ago. He assured me that the Pantheon was indeed there in Rome at the time! He recounted how he loved that Roman year but that he wishes he could have a second chance to do the year again – there is so much to see and things he didn’t get to see or do. But alas, he can’t – he has children to feed and the few projects his firm is receiving in this slow economy requires his full attention.

Life rarely gives us second chances. How often we wish we could have a second chance at that exam or project. Or a second chance with that determinative conversation with our girlfriend or boyfriend. How we wish we had a second chance with that pass, or swing of the bat. We come to understand, however, that our God is a God of second chances.

In this joyful Easter season we hear multiple post-resurrection accounts of Jesus. He appears to the disciples on the road to Emmaus who do not recognize Him. He says, “Oh how slow of heart you are!” and he explains Scripture, and his teachings, and his miracles, and works to them. And he gives them a second chance. He makes himself known in the breaking of the bread – and because of this they are overjoyed and with hearts on fire race back to Jerusalem to proclaim the good news, “We have seen the Lord!”.

Last Sunday we hear of Thomas who doubts and refuses to believe. And Jesus gives him a second chance. Here I am. Put your hand in my side, touch the nail-marks. And because Jesus gives him a second chance, Thomas is able to proclaim “My Lord and my God!” and proclaims the Good News, meeting his own martyrs death in what is now modern India.

In today’s Gospel, Peter is given a second chance. We know, of course, how he denied the Lord not once, not twice, but three times in the dead of night while warming himself at a charcoal fire. A few days later, while fishing, he sees Jesus on the beach where He warms himself by a charcoal fire. But whereas Peter sinned in the night, Jesus appears at the break of dawn, in the light. Recognizing Jesus, Peter realizes he is practically nude and covers himself. We recall how Adam and Eve, with shame in their hearts, clothed themselves and hid themselves from God. Peter surely also was filled with shame – seeing Jesus surely brought back fresh memories of that fateful night – the fire, his denial, cowardice, the cock crowing.

Three times denied, three times affirmed. “Do you love me?” “Yes.” “Do you love me?” “Yes.” “Do you love me?” “Lord, you know everything, you know I love you!!” Jesus gives Peter a second chance. And because of this he is able to preach the Good News, to baptize, to lead the early Church, and to meet a martyrs death just down the street.

Our God is a God of second chances…………and third, and tenth, and hundred and a thousand chances. Do we believe that?

The difficulty, the angst, the rub, of the Christian life is that a life of prayer, faith, religion, discipleship, Christian charity can be unattractive, unappealing, a drudgery. It happens to us all. And we can find ourselves denying like Peter and doubting like Thomas and like those two disciples walking to Emmaus, slow of heart.

But we musn’t despair, but rather, throw ourselves at the feet of Christ and to reaffirm our devotion to him.

On that fateful night both Judas and Peter sinned, one by betraying, the other by denying. And yet one despaired while the other was later able to receive a second chance. Every time we celebrate the Mass we begin by crying out “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy”. Does God tire of our words? Does God tire of our coming to him for renewal and life? No. Never. Surely, then, we should not tire in asking and calling upon Him.

The Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross tell us, “There is no failure the Lord’s love cannot reverse, no humiliation he cannot exchange for blessing, no anger he cannot dissolve, no routine he cannot transfigure. All is swallowed up in victory. He has nothing but gifts to offer” (para. 118).

Our God is a God of second chances, and ten, and a hundred, and a thousand. We have only, like St. Peter, to run to Him, to reaffirm our devotion to Him. And if we do, then like the disciples, St. Thomas, and St. Peter and countless holy men and women before us, we can go forth, our hearts on fire, proclaiming the Good News of Easter.

The cloud, literally, hovering over Europe and now extended to Rome.

The Ordinary teaches...

I am encouraged by the steps being taken by the University of Notre Dame and its president, Father John Jenkins, CSC, in implementing the recommendations of the recently established Task Force on Life. Recommendations were publicized in January, and on April 8 the university announced the adoption of an Institutional Statement Supporting the Choice for Life and Principles for Institutional Charitable Activity, both of which were recommended by the task force. The other recommended initiatives have either been completed or are underway.

In his great encyclical, “The Gospel of Life,” Pope John Paul II wrote about the dramatic struggle between the “culture of life” and the “culture of death” in our present social context. He called for “the renewal of a culture of life within Christian communities themselves” and wrote of the specific contribution that Catholic universities should make in building a new “culture of life.” I believe that the efforts that the University of Notre Dame is making in this regard are important for the Church and for society.

Notre Dame’s Institutional Statement supporting the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death is an important foundation for the implementation of concrete actions and plans to teach and serve the Gospel of Life. In his apostolic constitution on Catholic universities, “Ex Corde Ecclesiae,” Pope John Paul II listed as one of the essential characteristics of a Catholic university “an institutional commitment to the service of the people of God and of the human family in their pilgrimage to the transcendent goal which gives meaning to life.” An explicit and strong pro-life commitment strengthens the Catholic character of the university. It is an expression also of another essential characteristic of Catholic universities: “Fidelity to the Christian message as it comes to us through the Church.” — cf. “Ex Corde Ecclesiae” 13.

Our Catholic universities are in a unique position to promote the renewal of a culture of life in our society. Being actively pro-life in teaching and research, pastoral ministry and service, Catholic universities indeed contribute to the renewal of our society and to the promotion of the common good. I am grateful to Father Jenkins and to the Notre Dame Task Force on Life for the efforts they are making to serve the Gospel of life. I pray that their work will bear much good fruit. -- Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, April 8, 2010

Dog bites man...

"Consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church on such issues as abortion, research involving human embryos, euthanasia, the death penalty, and other related life issues, the University of Notre Dame recognizes and upholds the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death."
- Institutional Statement Supporting the Choice for Life, University of Notre Dame

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief...

"As yet, we see not Christ; but we see the Church: therefore let us believe in Christ. The Apostles, on the contrary, saw Christ; but they saw not the Church except by faith. They saw one thing, and they believed another: so, likewise, let us do. Let us believe in the Christ, whom as yet we see not; and by keeping ourselves with the Church which we see, we shall come at length to see him, whom as yet we cannot see." - St. Augustine, Sermon 238, In diebus Paschalibus, X.

Eucharistic Procession...

Dear friends,

Campus Ministries at the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College,
and Holy Cross College are hosting the Sixth Annual Eucharistic
Procession on Sunday, April 18, 2010. The procession will begin
immediately following the 11:45am Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred
Heart. Come for Mass or simply meet outside the front doors of the
Basilica at 12:45pm to join in the procession as it leaves the Basilica.
After the procession, join students, religious, faculty, and staff for
a simple picnic lunch catered and hosted by the Knights of Columbus
outside their building on South Quad. In the event of rain, the
procession will be held inside the Basilica.

The Procession will be preceded by 40 continuous hours of Eucharistic
Adoration in the Coleman-Morse Center chapel, sponsored by various
student groups. Adoration will begin at 6:00pm next Friday, April 16,
and will finish before the Procession on Sunday, April 18, at 10:00am.
To register for a time slot for Adoration, please visit:

http://www.mysignup.com/40hours

Please help us promote the procession by spreading the word and by joining the Facebook event at
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=109220809108393&ref=mf
and inviting others to do so as well!

In Christ and Notre Dame, Our Mother,
Fr. Tom Eckert, CSC, Brett Perkins, & The 2010 Eucharistic Procession
Committee

He is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia...

"The providence of God, who has established harmony between the visible world and the supernatural work of grace, willed that the Resurrection of our Lord should take place at that particular season of the year when even Nature herself seems to rise from the grave. The meadows give forth their verdure, the trees resume their foliage, the birds fill the air with their songs, and the sun, the type of our triumphant Jesus, pours out his floods of light on our earth made new by lovely spring." - Dom Propser Gueranger, OSB in The Liturgical Year, vol 7, pg 15.

Happy Easter to you all!