Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
«Do you love me more than these?»
Fr. Habel Jadera (Bogor, Indonesia)
Today, Gospel tells us another story of Jesus’ appearance to His disciples. Intensely, the dialogue between Jesus and Peter illustrates God's mercy as a great love for the disciples and the world. This is not a common dialog between Jesus and His disciple, Peter. Both Jesus and Peter talk about love according to their perspectives. Jesus’ three questions: «Do you love me more than these?» could be seen as His act of reaffirming Peter's twofold status: as a disciple who loves Him more than others do, and as a disciple who loves Him more than he loves his fellow disciples. Indeed, Jesus’ great act of love requires a depth response from Peter.
By answering «Yes, Lord, you know that I love you», Simon seems to understand his three times failures in denying Jesus, Son of God who stands in front of him, who says to the disciples «don’t be afraid», «peace be unto you» (cf. Jn 14:27; 20:19).
Jesus concludes this important dialog with the affirmation of Peter's task and the authorities which have been given before (cf. Mt 16:18-20). Especially, when Jesus said, «Look after my sheep». Regarding this fulfillment of Jesus' commissions, it requires an extraordinary love, the love that is missionary in spirit. This missionary love must be going forth, as Pope Francis says «love creates bonds and expands existence, for it draws people out of themselves and towards others».
Jesus ensures this basic characteristic of love that is missionary to be His shepherds: To love Him more than anything. Finally, as Jesus' disciples, we are all called to guarantee that the «law of ecstasy» is operated. As Pope Francis notes «the lover goes outside the self to find a fuller existence in another». Missionary love encourages us of moving beyond ourselves!
«‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you’. Jesus then said, ‘Feed my sheep’»
+ Fr. Joaquim MONRÓS i Guitart (Tarragona, Spain)
Today, we should be grateful to St. John for having left with us the evidence of an intimate dialogue between Jesus and Peter: «Simon, son of John, do you love me?», and he said, «Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you». Jesus then said, «Feed my lambs’» (Jn 21:15). —From the smallest ones, newly born to the Grace of God... you must take care, as if you were Myself... When a second time... «Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep’», He is actually telling Simon Peter: —You must guide all those who follow me in my Love, and you must see to it they all have the charity ordained. Thus, through you, everyone will realize they are following Me; for it is my Will you go always first, while administering the merits that —for each one— I have gained.
«Peter was saddened because Jesus asked him a third time, ‘Do you love me?’», and he said, «Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you’» (Jn 21:17). His triple denial makes him rectify, and just remembering it, saddens him. —I truly love you despite I denied you..., you know how much I have regretted my betrayal, you know how much I found consolation by being with your Mother and brothers.
I find consolation in remembering that the Lord established the power to forgive sins that separate us, whether a little or a lot, from his Love and the love to our brothers. —I find consolation when admitting the truth of my distancing from You while feeling from your priestly lips the «I absolve you» “by way of judgment”.
We find consolation in the power of those keys Jesus Christ confers to his priests-ministers, to open again the doors to his friendship. —Lord, I see that indifference can be arranged by a more intense act of love. It makes us altogether evaluate the immense joy of the Sacrament of forgiveness to confess our sins, which are really a “lack of love”.