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. Revealed. God always reveals himself in life, sooner or later, because he challenges you and makes you reflect and question yourself. As the Council says “conscience is the voice of God in your life”. Therefore, my friend, don’t hide and don’t reject yourself. Rather, learn to accept yourself and your life as it is, without clinging to unrealistic ideals. Remember that dreams can be achieved but only with a grounded approach, with your feet on the ground.
2. Peter. According to St. Augustine, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him, because Peter had denied him three times. He confesses his love to the Lord three times, in reparation for his triple denial, and he is given the care of the sheep. God always gives you the opportunity to change, but this implies humility on your part and accepting that you’ve made mistakes. To effectively assume responsibilities within a family, profession, or church, it’s essential to first acknowledge one’s weaknesses and clearly confront the internal challenges that create doubts and vulnerabilities.
3. The end. Life is finite. The only thing we know for sure is that we are going to die. So live life fully one step at a time. Enjoy each day focusing on the present and don’t get carried away by tomorrow. But there’s something else I’d like to point out. Embrace old age as part of life. Don’t deny it, learn to live with grace. Accept your mistakes, learn from them, and avoid repeating them in your old age. Remember, it’s a short step from denying someone to loving them.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
