The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite contemplation of our longer term commitment as Jesus followers.
The longer journey
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes how Festus consults King Agrippa about Paul’s imprisonment.
* [25:13] King Agrippa and Bernice: brother and sister, children of Herod Agrippa I whose activities against the Jerusalem community are mentioned in Acts 12:1–19. Agrippa II was a petty ruler over small areas in northern Palestine and some villages in Perea. His influence on the Jewish population of Palestine was insignificant.1
Psalm 103 offers thanksgiving for God’s Goodness.
* [Psalm 103] The speaker in this hymn begins by praising God for personal benefits (Ps 103:1–5), then moves on to God’s mercy toward all the people (Ps 103:6–18). Even sin cannot destroy that mercy (Ps 103:11–13), for the eternal God is well aware of the people’s human fragility (Ps 103:14–18). The psalmist invites the heavenly beings to join in praise (Ps 103:19–22).2
In the Gospel of John, Jesus and Peter communicate about love for the flock of Jesus' disciples.
* [21:15–17] In these three verses there is a remarkable variety of synonyms: two different Greek verbs for love (see note on Jn 15:13); two verbs for feed/tend; two nouns for sheep; two verbs for know. But apparently there is no difference of meaning. The threefold confession of Peter is meant to counteract his earlier threefold denial (Jn 18:17, 25, 27). The First Vatican Council cited these verses in defining that Jesus after his resurrection gave Peter the jurisdiction of supreme shepherd and ruler over the whole flock.3
Kimberly Grassmeyer comments that it may have been frustrating to Simon that Jesus asked him this question three times over.
But I needed to read it three times over! It took three times for me to feel the impact necessary to recognize the hesitation I’ve carried in maintaining a personal, conversational, and loving relationship with Christ. Until I do, I cannot effectively “Feed” or “Tend” his flock. I can and regularly do go through the motions! But am I truly embodying and voicing Christ’s love? Jesus challenged Simon that if he truly loved his Christ, then he would carry on the work, share the word, share Christ’s love and, by so doing, glorify God.4
Don Schwager quotes “Do you love me? Feed my sheep,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Christ rose again in the flesh, and Peter rose in the spirit because, when Christ died in his passion, Peter died by his denial. Christ the Lord was raised from the dead, and out of his love he raised Peter. He questioned him about the love he was confessing and entrusted him with his sheep. After all, what benefit could Peter confer on Christ by the mere fact of his loving Christ? If Christ loves you, it is to your advantage, not Christ's. And if you love Christ, it is to your advantage, not Christ's. And yet Christ the Lord wanted to indicate how people ought to show that they love Christ. And he made it plain enough by entrusting him with his sheep. 'Do you love me?' 'I do.' 'Feed my sheep.' All this once, all this a second time, all this a third time. Peter made no other reply than that he loved him. The Lord asked no other question but whether he loved him. When Peter answered, our Lord did nothing else but entrust his sheep to him." (excerpt from SERMON 229n.1.4)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 21:15-19 comments that Jesus already knows that Peter loves him. But he wants Peter to look inside himself and acknowledge that love. Jesus’ purpose becomes clear when he tells Peter, “Follow me” (21:19). He wants Peter, having reaffirmed his love for Jesus, to step out in faith and move forward with him.
So be encouraged! Every day, make reaffirming your faith in Christ part of your morning routine. Take a few moments in your daily prayer to make a “morning offering.” Respond to Jesus with whatever comes to your heart: “Jesus, I love you! I trust in your promises. Today I want to recommit myself to you.” As you start the day proclaiming your desire to follow the Lord, it will make a difference in how you live as his follower in the world. “Lord, you already know that I love you. Help me to recommit myself to you each day with my whole heart.”6
Friar Jude Winkler discusses how Festus explains to Agrippa about the arrest of Paul during the reign of Felix. Paul’s imprisonment continued for two more years in Rome under Nero. Friar Jude suggests using two words for love, agape and phileo, reminds us to love God and neighbour as best we can.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces contemplative priest and co-founder of the Center for Spiritual Imagination, Adam Bucko, who reflected on Maximilian Kolbe (1894–1941)’s story and the meaning of the Gospel today.
Growing up in Poland, I was shaped by many stories of World War II that I heard over and over again as a kid. . . . I believe these stories [of Kolbe and others] offer us a way out. A way out of the logic that our world operates on. A logic that lives inside of us and governs so many of our basic drives. A logic that led to the war these stories described and, also, in some ways, is responsible for many of the heartbreaking things we are witnessing today. Personal things and societal things. This logic can best be described by what philosopher Hegel [1770–1831] called the “master-slave dialectic.” Applied to our societal history, it tells us that, when left to ourselves, we often organize our lives according to the principle of domination. . . . In the gospel [on Maundy Thursday] we are shown that real power is not the power of domination but rather the power of love. And that looking at life from the vantage point of love, we see that our being and our joy increase to an extent that we give it away. We see that the real significance of our lives grows the more we are willing to move beyond seeing others as threats and instead choose to delight “in their energy . . . [and] give away some of our own life to help resource their lives.” [3]7
The challenges on our journey call us to reflect and strengthen our loving response to others.
References
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