The Lord Who Forgives and Gives Us Life
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Homily of H.E., Most Rev. Charles John Brown, D.D., Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines
May 22, 2026 | 1st Day of Novena Mass of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Santisima Trinidad Parish Malate, Manila
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
For me, as your apostolic nuncio, it makes me always very happy to come to Santisima Trinidad Parish. I've been here many times*, and I’m back again tonight to celebrate this Mass, which is the First Mass of your Novena of Masses, which will culminate in your Parish Fiesta on the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. So, today is the first of the Novena Masses here at Santissima Trinidad; and I’m so grateful to your beloved parish priest, Fr. Carmelo P. Arada, Jr, for having invited me once again to be with all of you this evening.
Saints Peter and Paul in Rome
The two readings that we heard tonight, the First Reading (Acts 25:13b-21) and the Gospel (John 21:15-19), fit very well with who I am and what I do here in the Philippines. I, as you know, am the Apostolic Nuncio, or the Papal Nuncio. What is the Papal Nuncio? He is a representative of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, in Rome, the Bishop of Rome. So, I'm the representative of the Bishop of Rome, here on Taft Avenue, here in the Philippines.
Why is that interesting? Because both of our readings tonight have something to do with Rome. In the First Reading, if you were listening carefully, you heard how Saint Paul was being judged by the Roman ruler in what is now Israel for having preached about Jesus. Paul at the end of that reading, which we heard, appeals to Caesar, who is Caesar, the Emperor in Rome. So, Paul asks to have his case heard in Rome. Indeed, Paul then was taken as a prisoner to Rome. There he preached the gospel to the people in Rome, and he was martyred for his faith. He was killed for his faith. They chopped off his head, they decapitated him, they beheaded him in Rome. So, we have the martyrdom of Saint Paul, who went to Rome, preached, and was martyred there.
Then in the Gospel we have a similar thing at the very end of the gospel, Jesus says to Peter, “When you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18). Saint John, who writes this gospel, tells us that Jesus said this, signifying the kind of death that Peter would have to glorify God. So, where did Peter die? Also, in Rome.
Saint Paul was beheaded, decapitated, they chopped off his head; and Peter was also put to death in Rome by crucifixion. The tradition is that he was crucified upside down with his feet up, and his head down, in Rome in about the year 63. So, both of these apostles, Peter and Paul, both went to Rome with the message, “Jesus has risen from the dead, and if you follow Jesus, you will receive God's life, and you will pass through death into new life.” Both of them went to Rome. Both of them were martyred.
So, for me, as a representative of the Bishop of Rome, it's the perfect way to begin your Novena of Masses, because it's really concentrated on Rome. Of course, on June 29, we will celebrate these two saints, Peter and Paul. In fact, yours truly, the Apostolic Nuncio, will celebrate Mass in the cathedral in Intramuros, in the evening of June 29, celebrating Peter and Paul, both of whom are martyred in Rome.
Jesus and Peter
There's another beautiful element: so touching, so moving in our gospel this evening. That is the dialogue that we heard between Jesus and Peter. Remember, this gospel is happening after the resurrection. Jesus has gone through death, risen from the dead, meets Peter, and he says to Peter, “Peter, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, you know that I love you”, and Jesus says, “Feed my lambs.” Then Jesus says it again, “Do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter says, “You know I love you,” [Jesus said,] “Tend my sheep.” Then even a third time, Jesus says to Peter, “Peter, do you love me?”, and Peter says, “Yes, Lord. You know everything; you know that I love you.” And Jesus says, “Feed my sheep.”
So, it's very interesting. Peter three times in the Gospel says to Jesus, “I love you, Jesus,” “I love you, Jesus,” and hears those words, “Feed my sheep.” It's very interesting, because the same Peter on [Maundy Thursday] denied Jesus. He denied Jesus. He said, “I do not know him” (Luke 22:57).
On [Maundy Thursday], when Jesus was being arrested and led to crucifixion, Simon Peter, out of fear, denied Jesus. How many times did he deny Jesus? Three times. So, it's interesting, Peter denies Jesus three times on [Maundy Thursday]. Then, after the resurrection, after Jesus comes back from the dead, Jesus gives Peter the chance to say three times, “I love you.” It's where Jesus wants Peter to make up for his mistakes.
The Loving and Forgiving Jesus
That's the way the Lord is with all of us. When we make mistakes, we do things that are wrong, we do things that are stupid, the Lord is always ready to forgive us, as He does with Peter in the Gospel this evening. He gives Peter the chance to say three times, “I love you.”
Jesus gives us the same chance when we make a mistake. That's why we have the sacrament of confession, so we can come to Jesus and say, “Lord, I made a mistake, I did something foolish or stupid, please forgive me,” and the Lord forgives us. Because the Lord loves us.
Of course, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?”, and Peter says, “Yes, Lord, you know everything, You know I love you,” but the love that is greater is the love of Jesus for Peter. That’s true for each and every one of us in the church this evening. Jesus loves us. Jesus has given his life to us.
The One Who Feeds
Jesus feeds us with His Body, His Blood, His Soul, His Divinity in the Holy Eucharist. In fact, when Jesus says to Peter, “Feed my sheep,” the idea is that Peter will feed the sheep, which are the followers of Jesus, with the sacraments, especially with the Eucharist. Peter, as a priest, as a bishop, gives people the Eucharist, the Body, the Blood, the Soul, the Divinity of Jesus. That is our food. The Eucharist is indeed our food. The Eucharist gives us God's life.
All of us have natural biological life in us. We got it from our parents. We inherit life because we're alive, but Jesus gives us another form of life, another kind of life through the Eucharist: supernatural life. The life that will never end, a life that fills us with joy, a life that gives us the power to go through difficulties, with the strength that comes from God. The Eucharist is the reason for the Church, that's why we have the Church, so that people can receive the Eucharist. People are baptized in order to receive the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the fulfillment of our baptism. That's the way Peter, the bishops, and priests, like Father Arada, feed the lambs. By giving them the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus.
Conclusion and Final Exhortations
So, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let's take away two thoughts this evening as we begin our novena.
First, the Lord forgives us when we make mistakes. Come to Him, say, “Lord, I'm sorry”, especially in a Sacrament of Confession, and He forgives us as He forgave Peter, and even gave Peter the chance to make up for his mistakes by saying three times, “I love you”.
Secondly, the Lord gives us life. He feeds us because we are His sheep. He feeds us with the Bread of Life, the Holy Eucharist, which gives us life. A life that will never end.
Finally, in this month of May, we turn to Our Lady, who's beautifully portrayed here in your sanctuary, Our Lady, Mama Mary. All of us Filipinos are children of Mary. We are the Pueblo Amante de Maria, the people who love Mary. So, let's ask Mary to intercede for us. We make this Novena of Masses a very spiritually enriching time for us. That we will begin to understand more deeply the beauty of what we are about to do here: the beauty of the Holy Eucharist, the power of God, the forgiveness of God, the life of God.
God bless each and every one of you.
Happy Fiesta!
Transcribed by Joel V. Ocampo
Photos from Santisima Trinidad Parish Malate, Manila
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*I've been here many times…
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