Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 21, 15-19
After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them,
he said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, 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.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
Do you love me?
1) Jesus calls. The call is personal and it’s an invitation to do something for others by being yourself. This is what Jesus reminds us of with Peter. Peter had denied Him, but Jesus did not call him just once. Jesus calls many times and asks the essential question: Do you love me? Jesus calls you to be your true self and to do what makes you happy. True happiness in your life causes happiness in those around you, because God’s call for you is a gift you must share with others.
2) Feed. Jesus is pedagogical in the way He calls us. First, He calls you and asks you freely whether or not you want to take on the lifestyle He proposes, and then He gives you a specific task to do. You and I have, according to our vocation, the task of ‘feeding’ and ‘tending’ to others. That is, of being attentive to the needs of others and seeking to give life to them. We must realize that this life is short. Time flies by quickly, and cannot be recovered. Christians are called to accompany and ‘shepherd’ others, to make other people’s lives more beautiful and less problematic. Your life is valuable, and you cannot live being bitter or depressed, just as you shouldn’t live life in a way that complicates the lives of others. Your life and your presence should be a real help, a respite for those close to you, instead of a burden.
3) Know. In the course of your life, you will face great challenges, but the hardest thing might be facing yourself. There is something great in you that you can share with others, with your family, and with the people who love and trust you. Do you know what makes you different from others? If you know it, use it! Feed others!
God bless you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Always remember that Heaven is our goal!
