Hey, everybody. This is Father John Ricardo with Acts 29. And in the middle of all the craziness

and the uncertainty that's going on right now, it seems from our perspective as a team that it's

worth using these days to reflect in a more deliberate way on the scriptures every day, which

for many of us now is the only spiritual food that we're receiving. And so we're going to do a special podcast series simply entitled,

Be Not Afraid, God's Word in Uncertain Times.

And we'll try to post something every day, usually reflecting on the scriptures,

so that we can listen in on what God is trying to say to us in these days.

My take on today's gospel, perhaps the most encouraging part of our ministry in Acts 29 and a

request.

Those are the three things I'd like to share this morning with you.

First, my take on today's gospel, this has always been a gospel. It's John 21

versus 1 to 14, although it's actually truncated in our gospel reading today. I think this should be read

with what comes afterwards. This is known oftentimes as the reinstatement of Peter.

This is the first conversation that we have between Jesus and Peter after the resurrection,

which I think is just important to keep in mind first, because if I'm Peter and I know what I've done, namely, I've gone from Holy Thursday night saying to Jesus, after he has mentioned that someone's going to betray him, making the promise, Lord, do everybody else will deny you? I will never deny you.

And then, that horrible event that takes place when Peter not only denies that he knows Jesus,

in the Gospels, it actually goes to say that he goes so far as to call a curse down on himself,

if he even knows who Jesus is.

And that incident, by the way, just hold on to this, happens around a charcoal fire, St. John says in his gospel.

Then comes Jesus' passion, then his death, then his burial, and then Easter Sunday. And if I'm Peter, and I see Jesus on Easter Sunday, I have two contrasting emotions.

I am stunned, overwhelmed, filled with joy, amazed, awed at the fact that he is alive.

And I am nervous as I'll get out about a conversation that I know has to take place, an interaction between him and me, me being the one who said, I will never deny you,

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