From the Desk of Father Romeo Velos – MIRACLE OF EASTER

During this Easter season, God continues to reveal His generosity, infinite mercy, steadfast, excessive and extravagant love to us. He does not give up on us. He invites us to be witnesses of the miracle of Easter. This is because God’s love never ends and dies. He offers new life to us. That is why, when the apostles decided to go back fishing, to return to the comfort of their familiar activity, Jesus intervenes. He ensures that the disciples will not be lost permanently to their old ways because He wants new life for them. He reminds His disciples that they are all called to be fishers of men. They are called to fish for all kinds of people because God is a gathering force. His love is for all and He wants all people to be saved. To be fishers of men is to bring people back to God and to reveal Him to the world by loving one another. Jesus said that the world will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. The miracle of Easter reveals that God takes the initiative to renew our lives. Peter denied Jesus three times while warming himself over a charcoal fire. It is beside another charcoal fire that Peter is given a chance to redeem himself. God is a God of second, third, fourth and infinite chances. But we should not waste these opportunities because the day of salvation is today. We are called to seek Christ above all else and the invitation is here and now. Jesus asked Peter three times, “do you love me”. It is because the threefold denial of Peter is reversed by a threefold expression of love. Peter is called to imitate Jesus by laying down his life for others. Jesus said that there is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for his friends. It is to learn to give all and to love to the end. Jesus told Peter, “Feed my lambs, tend my sheep”. He is fully reconciled and healed by Jesus and healing leads to service because service is love in action. He is given a pastoral role by caring the sheep and lambs of Jesus. He is called to rely on God alone because that is the only way to be strong.