The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to assess the gifts we have in our personality and life experience to accept the assistance of the Holy Spirit in actualization of Jesus' directive to “Feed My Sheep.”
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Festus consults King Agrippa about 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).
* [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. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 103 is a 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 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus and Peter dialogue about Love.
* [21:15–23] This section constitutes Peter’s rehabilitation and emphasizes his role in the church.
* [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.
* [21:15] More than these: probably “more than these disciples do” rather than “more than you love them” or “more than you love these things [fishing, etc.].”
* [21:18] Originally probably a proverb about old age, now used as a figurative reference to the crucifixion of Peter. (John, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB, n.d.)
Tamora Whitney comments that Jesus knows absolutely that Peter loves him. And Jesus says, then prove it: feed my lambs, tend my sheep. Peter had denied him. But he really does love Jesus. The best way to show this is to do his work. The best way to make up for his indiscretion is to do Jesus’ work.
Jesus is there and alive in this passage, but he will ascend to heaven soon. If Peter really loves him, and he does, the best thing he can do is to tend his sheep. Jesus wants him to take care of people: Be a good shepherd, a good steward. Follow Jesus’ example and do the work. This is a good example for everyone to follow. If we love Jesus, the best way to show that is to take care of his people. Peter started it, and we can continue. The best way to follow Jesus is to follow his example and to love others like he loves us. (Whitney, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Do you love me? Feed my sheep,” . by Augustine of Hippo.
"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, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 21:15-19 comments that Jesus moved Peter from clinging to sins of the past to receiving mercy in the present, and he wants to do the same for us. His mercy knows no bounds. Not only that, but he longs to pour it out on us! In fact, once we’ve repented and received his forgiveness, the only reason to remember our shameful moments is so that we can recall his compassion and mercy.
Christ died and rose so that you might be forgiven—completely! Let him take you aside—perhaps early each morning—and assure you of his unconditional love and mercy for you. The more deeply you experience this mercy, the more equipped you will be to answer the Lord’s call to “feed my sheep.”
“Jesus, may I trust in your mercy all the days of my life!” (Meditation on John 21:15-19, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler explains how the authorities brought Paul to Caesarea and the decision of Festus to honour his privilege as a Roman Citizen to have his case presented in Rome. Chapter 21 of John is an addenda, likely by the same author as the Gospel, with Jesus asking Peter if he loves as agape twice and receiving confirmation of loving Jesus as philia. Friar Jude notes that Jesus accepts Peter’s love and ours at the level we are able to achieve.
Brian McLaren shares his vision of a restored Earth where humans live equitably with the Earth, other humans, and the more-than-human world. He dreams that some of us, maybe even enough of us, will come together not only in a circle of shared humanity, but in a sphere as big as the whole Earth, to rediscover ourselves as Earth’s multi-colored multi-cultured children, members of Team Earth.
In my dream, our life-giving connection to each other and to the living Earth would be fundamental, central, and sacred … and everything else, from economies to governments to schools to religions … would be renegotiated to flow from that fundamental connection. In my dream, we would know God not as separate from creation, but as the living light and holy energy we encounter in and through creation: embodied, incarnated, in the current and flow of past, present, and future, known most intimately in the energy of love. (McLaren, n.d.)
We are called to be shepherds of Jesus sheep and to be open to the prompting of the Spirit to show us practical pathways to carry out our mission everyday.
References
Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 17, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/25?13
John, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 17, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/21?15
McLaren, B. (n.d.). Dreaming of a Harmonious Earth. CAC Daily Meditations. Retrieved May 17, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/dreaming-of-a-harmonious-earth/
Meditation on John 21:15-19. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 17, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/05/17/967363/
Psalms, PSALM 103 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 17, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/103?1
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 17, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=may17
Whitney, T. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved May 17, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/051724.html
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