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.”
Love means taking care of the flock
1. Revealed. It is in our moments of emptiness that our deepest needs and lack come to light. The issue isn’t that we have these needs, but rather where we turn to meet them or how we attempt to fill them. When those voids arise in us, we might be tempted to fill them with fleeting comforts or affection just to numb the pain. But as the old saying goes, “the remedy can be worse than the disease”. Don’t let your feelings of emptiness or loneliness push you into choices that end up restricting or harming you. The fear of solitude can sometimes make us settle for ongoing unhappiness simply to avoid being alone.
2. Do you love me? Here, love isn’t just a feeling—it demands certainty, and certainty leads to real decisions. This is evident in Peter: decisiveness comes from conviction, and conviction is what drives a person to act and to care for those they love. Take a moment today to ask yourself: What are you truly sure of?
3. Tending the flock. “Shepherding” is the natural result of a deep, loving conviction. I’m beginning to realize that my work as a priest isn’t just about constantly performing “tasks for Christ”—it’s about being deeply convinced of my love for Christ. My actions should stem from that love, not from a desire to impress or to use Christ as a means to an end. Today, pray for the grace to fall more deeply in love with God. Strive to act with sincerity, doing things because of heartfelt conviction—not just for personal gain or to expand your following. Give yourself the opportunity to be genuine and let your actions flow from true love.
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.
