Talk
BRO. BO SANCHEZ:
I want you to give a big, big hug to seven persons beside you and tell each one of them: “God is calling you again.”
Let’s give a big hand to our worship team. Thank you so much, guys. Also, a big hand to Doc Ryan and Mhadz.
Beautiful.
Everybody say, “I’m happy!”
Tell somebody beside you, “I’m happy you’re here!” We’re going to continue reading the Word of the Lord.
Everybody, extend your hands towards the Scriptures:
Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet And a Light unto my path.
Limbo
We’re going to read the epilogue of John. This is the last talk of our series.
This is the 11th talk. In the epilogue, we discovered something that’s similar to Avengers Endgame. Its opening act is very different from the previous Avengers movies.
The Earth’s mightiest heroes were fighting alien invasion. They were doing heroic stuff.
But in the opening act of this particular movie, they were like in a limbo. They lost and they didn’t know what they’re supposed to do.
Captain America was leading a support group. Hulk was no longer smashing things. He was Professor Hulk. He became very gentle, and he was signing autograph for kids.
Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, was supposed to be handsome.
But in the opening act of Avengers Endgame,
Thor was drunk and had a fat belly.
I can almost imagine the girls saying, “Refund! We didn’t come here to watch Chris Hemsworth in that way!”
Crossroad
The Avengers were lost. It’s almost like what happened to the Apostles
in the epilogue of John.
Prior to that, they were powerfully going from town to town with supernatural strength, driving out demons, performing miracles, and healing the sick. Even when they saw Jesus alive again, not all their questions were answered. They were still lost. They were still in limbo.
This is what happened:
This was not just, “We’re hungry.
We need fish. We will go out.”
This was Peter saying, “I don’t know what I am going do. Maybe, my life for fishing for men is over. I’m going to go back to my old life and I’ll start fishing again. This whole idea of giving my life to Jesus. I don’t think it’s for me anymore. I know Jesus rose from the dead. He’s been appearing but for now I really don’t know what to do with my life.”
Have you been in that place? Have you been in that crossroad where you saw great things happen and your hopes are very high? Then, some crisis happened and you lost your way. Your down in the dumps. You’re discouraged and frustrated.
You’re asking, “What’s next?” That’s the emotional state of Peter.
1. Four Steps to Renewal
When you feel like giving up on your calling, I want you to take these four steps:
1. Remember your conversion.
Does this sound familiar? If Peter had a Facebook account, he would have his old post that he did three years ago re-appear.
He would probably say, “OMG! It’s happening again.”
The first time when Peter gave his life to Jesus was that time when he could not catch anything. Then Jesus appeared. Jesus gave him some instructions. There was too much fish to haul because of that.
Jesus was saying: “Peter, I know you’re lost. But hear me out. Do you remember that day when you gave your life to me? Go back to that. Go back to your Why. I want you to recapture that.”
If you’re lost now, I want you to go back to that time you were smitten by the love of God.
I gave my life to the Lord when I was 12 years old. My parents brought me to this crazy prayer meeting. We were 30 strange people. I was the youngest.
We were weird. But that’s what changed my life.
At that time, I was thinking: “Why were these crazy people praising God in this way? Is God really a God who is happy?”
It really boggled my mind. I slowly realized that this God is real. This God is alive. This God really loves me. I heard God calling my name.
Have you heard God calling your name? Jesus wants you to remember that.
When you lose your way or when you get discouraged, go back to that first day when you heard Jesus call your name.
I was 13 years old when I composed my first meditation song. It was Jesus singing to me. I just wanted to bring it out that Jesus really loves me. I wrote a very sophisticated song.
The song goes this way: “I love you. Yes, I love you. Yes, I love you…”
It’s I love you 16x. I keep on going back to that.
2. Remember your consolation.
I’m using an Ignatian word. St. Ignatius of Loyola would talk about consolations and desolations. Consolations are times or moments when you felt the Lord.
It is your Jesus is walking on the water moments.
The Book of John that was written after the Gospels were written is assuming that his readers read those other stories. In the other story,
Jesus was walking in the water, Peter jumps into the water to walk to Jesus.
Again, it is déjà vu. When you are frustrated and when you have doubts and you’re wondering what you’re going to do with your life, remember your conversion. But also remember those God moments, where you experience His power in a tangible way.
May I share with you one in my life that I love to remember? It happened here in PICC 41 years ago. It was not The Feast.
It was the graduation of my cousin. I was about 17 years old.
I said, “Hey, since I’ll be in your graduation. I’ll be your photographer.” At that time, I was trying to study photography. I didn’t have a camera.
So, I borrowed one. It was an expensive camera. The lens was even more expensive than the camera. I was a missionary then. The value of that camera and that lens was beyond from what I could ever afford.
So, I took photos of my cousin. After the graduation, I said my congratulations and I left. I was almost outside PICC when I opened my bag and the lens was gone. I felt so afraid.
As I started walking back, I was asking myself, “How can I pay for this?” Until I felt this sudden warmth within me. This is really a miracle because
I really felt God saying: “Son, I’ll take care of you. Calm down. Trust me.” At that time, it was already evening. It was all dark. I really sensed
God leading me to this patch of grass outside PICC. So, I started walking.
I asked myself, “Why here? Did I walk here?” I couldn’t see anything but I kept on walking. I heard someone say, “Stop. Bend down.”
I found the lens. That was my God moment.
When I have questions, I go back to my God moments — to those moments in my life where there is no doubt that God was there.
I’m sure you have lots of God moments. I want you to collect those stories.
3. Repeat your Communion.
At that time that the disciples did not have fish– because they weren’t able to catch fish the whole night– probably they were wondering: “How are we going to eat tomorrow?”
On the other side, Jesus was already preparing the best breakfast buffet ever for them.
I want you to hold on to that.
Whenever you are lost wondering what you will do in your life, keep on going back to the rituals that Jesus Himself established.
For us Catholics, it is the Eucharist.
This was very special because the last meal that they had with Jesus was in the Last Supper. Jesus was going to break bread here with them.
I really believe that every Eucharist is a callback.
Each time you go to Mass and receive Jesus– even when you don’t feel like going to Mass– keep on doing it.
4. Repeat your conversation with Jesus.
We preached this before and I’m going to remind you why we are preaching about that. This verse is in English.
This was written originally in Greek. In Greek, there are different words for love. Let me put in front of you how the conversation went. Greek words of love used in this passage are agape and philia.
Agape is perfect love or divine love. Philia is friendship — great love but not perfect. It’s the human love. In place of love, let’s use agape and philia:>
Peter is no longer the loud, boastful and impulsive guy who says, “Jesus, I will die for you.”
He has humbled. He has gone through denying himself three times in front of a maid. He knows that he is made of brittle stuff. He’s weak.
Peter cannot say, “Jesus, I agape You.” Jesus asked Peter, “Do you philia me?” Jesus goes down to his level.
You know your weaknesses. Let’s give to God the small that we have.
Let’s give to the Lord what we are and who we are and bring us to the Presence of the Lord.
And let Him be the one to say: “I will meet you where you are. I will go to your weakness. I will go to your questions. I will go to your doubts. If you still have doubts following me, it’s okay. Just come. If you don’t feel like praying, Just pray. If you don’t feel like reading the Bible, just read the Bible. If you don’t feel like going to The Feast, go there every week– because I’m going to meet you where you are.”
Present to Him your doubts, questions, and confusion. Present to Him your mistakes, failures, hurts, and wounds. From every part of this congregation, give them to the Lord. He calls you by name. Jesus embraces you, as is, where is. He will heal what needs to be healed. He will touch what needs to be touched.
And he will walk with you in this journey.
God is calling you back. Jesus is calling you back. Do you hear Him? Do you hear Him calling your name?
He’s calling you: “Come back. Come back to me.”
