God's Gentle Correction
Homily for 3rd Sunday of Easter (Cycle C): Fr Stanley Antoni
Jesus once said something gentle but very powerful to St. Catherine of Siena:
“I am God; you are not.”
These words invite us to reflect on our own limits, the importance of humility, and the greatness of God.
It’s comforting to know that even someone as devoted as St. Catherine needed to hear this honest and loving reminder from Jesus.
Long before Catherine, God gently corrected Job by saying, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” In other words, Job was reminded that he wasn't in control, God was.
During his ministry, Jesus also corrected Peter, but he did it with love. He told him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” It was a painful truth, but Jesus spoke it with care.
Even great thinkers like Einstein pointed to a divine order in the universe. He once said, “God does not play dice with the universe.”
In our time, Pope Francis shared a deeply compassionate message when he said, “If a person is gay and seeks the Lord with goodwill, who am I to judge?” This reminds us to treat one another with kindness and not to act as if we are God.
Throughout history, God has been repeating the same simple and loving message: "I am God; you are not." But we are often slow to understand and accept it.
The religious leaders in the first reading fell into the dangerous trap of believing their thoughts were God’s thoughts and their actions God’s actions.
They stopped listening, becoming entrenched in their self-importance, ultimately growing arrogant and losing touch with the true heart of God.
Peter and his companions, witnessing this dangerous disposition, chose a different path.
They recognized the folly of trying to take God’s place. Their aspiration was not to be God, but to obey God, to align their thoughts with His, and to remain steadfast in humility.
The Christian vision, the very essence of our faith, is illuminated by the sacrifice of Jesus.
Those truly enlightened by this ultimate act of love are moved to suffer rather than inflict pain. These Christians emulate the selflessness of the Lamb of God.
John, in the second reading, is such a visionary. His powerful vision of the Lamb empowered him to endure persecution with love, a stark contrast to the Roman Empire, guided by the destructive “dragon,” which inflicted immense suffering.
The vision of the humble Lamb led John to a life of service, while the illusion of godlike power led the Romans to cruelty.
This temptation to play God, to control the uncontrollable, is often amplified by societal values that prize youthfulness, independence, and productivity.
By subscribing to these values people become anxious and desperately try to deny the natural progression of life, aging, dependence, and ultimately, death.
We fight against the very rhythm of existence, trying to seize control that is not ours to have.
The risen Jesus, in his gentle wisdom, assured Peter, “Do not be afraid.” He invited Peter to embrace life as it comes, trusting that all things, even the difficult ones, would ultimately lead to good, culminating in a peaceful death.
The desire to believe our thinking matches God's is dangerous. Even more hazardous is assuming God's thoughts mirror our own.
The mere possession of theological knowledge or the absence of mortal sin does not grant us divine insight.
Overconfidence can blind us, leading us to speak, act, and make promises that are fundamentally contrary to the just, loving, and merciful heart of God.
Saint Catherine, in her humility, embraced this simple yet profound truth: “I am God; you are not.”
We are human.
We are finite.
We do not possess all the answers.
We are easily threatened by so many things, both within and around us.
May we, like Saint Catherine, embrace the gentle correction of God and choose the path of humility.
