The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine the ideas and beliefs that separate us from living with love and forgiveness modelled by Jesus.
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents Paul before King Agrippa.
* [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, n.d.)
Psalm 103 praises God for personal benefits.
* [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 reconcile to “Feed His Sheep”.
* [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, n.d.)
Steve Scholer asks how would each of us answer the question, “Do you love me?” if Jesus asked it of us three times? Surely, we would all respond with a resounding yes, yes, yes! But actions speak louder than words. Do our actions provide the answer Jesus is seeking?
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, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 21:15-19 comments on “Follow me.” This is a universal invitation, offered to each and every one of us, no matter who we are or what we have done in the past. Jesus doesn’t wait until we love him perfectly. He doesn’t wait for us to be completely free of sin before he calls us. He knows that by putting aside our path and accepting his, we are already beginning to submit to his healing power. And then, every step along the way transforms us a little more.
So follow Jesus today! Let him take your yes, however small it may seem, and bring you into an ever-deepening relationship with him. Trust that he knows the destination far better than you do, and he also knows the best way to get there.
“Jesus, help me to trust in you more deeply. Lord, I want to follow you with all of my life for the rest of my life!” (Meditation on John 21:15-19, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes that in the Acts passage Governor Festus is receiving Jewish royalty to whom he explains Paul’s case , a prisoner for two years as no bribes were received by Felix. Festus wanted to send Paul to Jerusalem but he appealed to Caesar as a Roman citizen. Friar Jude notes that in the Gospel scene, after the Resurrection, Jesus questions three times whether Peter loves Him using “agape” twice and settles on “philia” as the love Peter is capable of at the time.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, notes that the first meals Jesus shared with his community included bread and fish, while a meal of bread and wine became the official meal of the church.
It’s unfortunate that we lost the bread and fish ritual meal, because the bread and wine ritual meal didn’t emphasize this idea of surplus: real food that actually fed the poor. The bread and wine tradition lent itself more to purity codes, insider/outsider dynamics, and ritualization. The bread and fish tradition, if retained, might have contributed to issues of justice, community, and social reordering. We see this after the resurrection. In John 21:1–14, the apostles are out on the lake. They see Jesus on the shore, cooking fish at a charcoal fire. He invites them to come share bread and fish.
If we remember what happened after Jesus’ arrest, we see the significance of this charcoal fire. The only other charcoal fire in the Gospels is where Peter stood when he betrayed Jesus (John 18:18). Jesus invites him now to another charcoal fire, where they share the bread and the fish. He says, in effect, “Peter, it’s okay. Forget it.” At this second charcoal fire the risen Jesus initiates table fellowship with Peter, who just a few days before rejected, betrayed, and abandoned him in his hour of need. It seems the bread and fish meal also had a healing, reconciling significance. What a shame we have lost this. (Rohr, n.d.)
We apply Jesus' question to Peter “Do you love me more than these?” to the distractions in our lives that restrict our love and service as followers of Christ.
References
Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 25. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/25?13
John, CHAPTER 21. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/21?15
Meditation on John 21:15-19. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/06/06/1299136/
Psalms, PSALM 103. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/103
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Wine, Bread, and Fish. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/wine-bread-and-fish/
Scholer, S. (2025, June 6). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/060625.html
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Do You Love Jesus More Than These? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jun6
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