WE MAY HAVE a feeling of elation when we receive an invitation we were not expecting to attend some special occasion. We may say to ourselves: "I wonder why they are asking me?" or "I didn't think they would be interested in me.
I notice that when reading the Gospels about Holy Week and Easter, some different thought seems to strike us in the drama each time. In Saint Mark's account of the women visiting the empty tomb, we have an instance of Saint Peter receiving an unexpected invitation to meet with the Risen Lord and the other disciples in Galilee.
In the empty tomb, they found a young man clothed in white. He spoke to them and said: "You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. See . . . there is the place where they laid him. But go. Tell his disciples and Peter: He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him as he told you." There's the unexpected invitation: "Tell his disciples and Peter".
Fresh in Peter's mind would be the shame of his denials of his Lord and Master. He would remember the anguish he knew when he went out and wept bitterly. And he is the one specially named in the invitation to the disciples. Like many of us, he might think to himself: "Why me, of all people?" In the miseries he knew after the denials, he might have decided that Jesus would not have any further contact with him. Fortunately, Saint Peter did not let his sense of unworthiness stop him responding. He went to Galilee and was fully accepted by Jesus. He was restored in contact with Him and the ministry.
Patrick the sinner was open to his shortcomings, as was Saint Peter. In reading about the people of God, we note their awareness of unworthiness. Some even feel they are not good enough to participate in church life. We can learn from Saint Peter, who felt that way and yet responded to the unexpected invitation. "Why?" we may ask. He went to Galilee because he knew he was loved. He knew he was specially wanted by Jesus. He certainly did not want himself
Jesus wanting him overwhelmed his rejection of himself.
The Easter message of God's victory over death and evil is something glorious to celebrate. Christ the King of Love and Life invites us to come to Him to follow Him and to participate with Him in Holy Communion on Easter Day. The opening words of the Easter anthems challenge us to forget ourselves, and to remember Him:
"Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us;
therefore let us celebrate the feast."
"Christ has died;
Christ is risen;
Christ will come again."