The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the connection of the events in our lives to our mission of practicing love as followers of Jesus.
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Festus consults King Agrippa about the imprisonment of Paul.
* [25:9–12] Paul refuses to acknowledge that the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem has any jurisdiction over him now (Acts 25:11). Paul uses his right as a Roman citizen to appeal his case to the jurisdiction of the Emperor (Nero, ca. A.D. 60) (Acts 25:12). This move broke the deadlock between Roman protective custody of Paul and the plan of his enemies to kill him (25:3). (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 25, n.d.)
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). (Psalms, PSALM 103, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus and Peter dialogue about love and care.
* [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. (John, CHAPTER 21, n.d.)
Carol Zuegner (2010) comments it seems pretty simple to be a follower. We let someone else lead the way. But it’s not so simple when it is Jesus beckoning us to follow him. When Jesus says, “Follow me” to Simon Peter and the apostles and to us, it means more. It means everything.
When Jesus says follow me, he starts with love, a love that can help us find our way. The journey won’t be easy for the apostles like Simon Peter. Jesus asks Peter to tend his sheep and feed his lambs. Jesus says the way won’t be easy. We also must tend to his sheep and feed his lambs. When we follow Jesus, we have to follow with our hearts, our souls, our minds. We have to expect roadblocks, setbacks, detours. When we follow with love, we can climb over the roadblocks, recover from the setbacks and maneuver the most winding detour. I am ready to follow. As I continue my journey, I echo today’s psalm: “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name.” (Zuegner, 2022)
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) (Schwager, 2022)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 21:15-19 that we might feel like Peter in those times when it seems that the Lord is repeatedly asking us the same “question.” For example, as we battle a chronic, serious health issue, he might be asking us, “Do you trust me?” If we are worried and anxious about an elderly parent or our finances, he might be asking, “Will you surrender this to me?” Or if we are experiencing the same temptation again and again, he might be saying, “Do you believe that my grace is enough?” Like his exchange with Peter, Jesus doesn’t do this to shame or test us. Instead, he is encouraging us to put our faith in him, no matter what our challenges.
If the Lord is inviting you to respond with faith, it’s because he loves you and sees the next step forward in your life with him. Remember, Jesus chose Peter to be the head of the Church; his questioning didn’t mean that Peter wasn’t qualified to lead or that he lacked faith. Just so, God knows that you have faith in him, and he is pleased with you. Yet he is always ready to deepen the faith you already have. “Make me ready to receive what you have for me, Lord!” (Meditation on John 21:15-19, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler shares the background of sending Paul to Rome when Festus hosts Agrippa and Bernice. Paul was arrested for a disturbance in the Temple. He appeals to Caesar as a Roman citizen. Friar Jude reflects on the use of philia, and agape in the Gospel to show Jesus takes us where we are to do the best we can.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes a contemplative teaching on three different ways or levels of seeing, and points out the need for people capable of seeing from the “third eye” and acting upon its wisdom. He wonders how far spiritual and political leaders can genuinely lead us without some degree of contemplative “third-eye” seeing and action. It is hardly an exaggeration to say that “us-and-them” seeing, and the dualistic thinking that results, is the foundation of almost all suffering and violence in the world. It allows heads of religion and state to avoid their own founding teachers, their own national ideals, and their own better instincts. Lacking the contemplative gaze, such leaders will remain mere functionaries and technicians, or even dangers to society.
We need all three sets of eyes to create a healthy culture and a healthy religion. Without them, we only deepen and perpetuate our problems. The third-eye person has always been the saint, the seer, the poet, the metaphysician, or the authentic mystic who grasps the whole picture. We need true mystics who see with all three sets of eyes. Some call this movement conversion, some call it enlightenment, some transformation, and some holiness. It is Paul’s “third heaven,” where “he heard things that must not and cannot be put into human language” (2 Corinthians 12:2, 4). (Rohr, n.d.)
Acting with love to take care of the people we meet is the commission Jesus gives us and in which the Spirit guides our action.
References
Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 25. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/25
John, CHAPTER 21. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/21?15
Meditation on John 21:15-19. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/06/03/399815/
Psalms, PSALM 103. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/103?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Third-Eye Seeing. Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/third-eye-seeing-2022-06-03/
Schwager, D. (2022, June 3). Do You Love Jesus More Than These? Daily Scripture net. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=jun3
Zuegner, C. (2022, June 3). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/060322.html
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