Simon, a fisherman, at a certain point in his life, encounters Jesus, the Rabbi and miracle-worker, but feels unworthy and sinful in Jesus’ presence. He says, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Peter faces his own fear and unworthiness. But this encounter profoundly changes him, and at the invitation of Jesus, “Follow me,” he leaves everything and follows the Lord.
And as you know, he becomes Peter, the Rock. On this rock Jesus builds His church. He becomes the first Pope of the Church: Christ’s own Vicar on earth.
Peter was weak. But he was fully for Jesus. His weaknesses didn’t deter him from following the Lord. We see how Peter was converted again and again: he came back to Jesus again and again (as today’s gospel beautifully portrays). Conversion, as we might have guessed, is not a one-time event in our lives; it is a process of changing or transforming one’s heart. It is a heart transplant, a painful process of removing the heart of stone, and replacing it with the heart of flesh for love alone.
Peter tells us today: “Don’t be afraid of your weaknesses. Even I was weak.” We need to embrace our brokenness and woundedness. Perhaps this is our cross. Perhaps this is our death before our final, physical death. And as we learn from Jesus, it is only through death we receive life. Only through accepting the cross we get new life (resurrection).
Three times Peter betrayed the Lord. Three times he had to say, “I love you, Lord.” (This is what we read in today’s gospel.) You know, Lord, that I love you. Three times denial to three times affirmation. Three times, “I don’t know him,” to three times, “I love you, Lord.” Here is someone who moves from fear and wrongdoing, to love and deeper levels of love.
Any repetition is a deepening of commitment. Could these be three answers with three different meanings and increasingly deeper levels of commitment? Perhaps yes. Yes, I do love you… that moves from the head to the body and certainly to the heart. The final answer is certainly a heart level answer. Why do we repeat things? Why do we do certain actions again and again? Why do we say some words again and again? I want to mean more and more. I want to assure those things again and again. This is the movement to habits and eventually to virtues.
Peter affirms his love three times, and interestingly he is given three different missions. Each time it is a different command from Jesus: (1) Feed my lambs. (2) Take care of my sheep. (3) Feed my sheep.
(1) Lambs are the young ones of sheep. The young ones are to be fed and nourished in the Church. Peter as the head of the Church is given this job. (2) He is also given the job of tending and taking care of the sheep, the bigger ones and adult members of the Church. He is asked to shepherd the adults with good example and sound doctrines. (3) Peter, finally, is also asked to feed and nourish the adult members. Perhaps this also points to Peter’s martyrdom. To nourish the Church with his life sacrifice. This may be seen in Jesus’ prophecy of Peter’s suffering and martyrdom, which we read immediately after this: “Truly, truly I say to you, when you were younger, you tied your own belt and went where you wanted. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will put a belt around you and take you where you don’t wish to go.”
In this context, for one final time Jesus tells Peter, “Follow me,” and thus renews his invitation and challenge, how willingly Peter would need to follow him, even unto martyrdom, witnessing through death.
We read from Peter’s life (as given through Scriptures and Tradition), that suffering did not hinder Peter to follow Jesus. He did not betray him again. He gave his life. He gave himself to be crucified—and that too, upside down.
We need to listen to Jesus’ command of “Follow me,” again and again. Peter’s conversion, and Jesus’ forgiveness are stories that need to happen in our lives. God is ever willingly. But are we willing to receive his forgiveness?
The only greatness that gives honour to a human person is forgiveness. This is the story of salvation, redemption. Your own histories and struggles matter! Salvation lies just in them!
Nothing can stop God from loving us. God’s love does not depend on the faithfulness or the worthiness of the object. He loves. That’s all. He is love itself. God does not love us because we are good or worthy. God loves us because God is good, God’s nature itself is love.
And here’s the real surprise, God loves us precisely in our obstinate unworthiness and our repeated betrayals. He loves us when we are still a mixture of good and bad, even as we are only girding ourselves (preparing ourselves) for love.
You are not a perfectly loving person, and God still totally loves you.
And as you know, he becomes Peter, the Rock. On this rock Jesus builds His church. He becomes the first Pope of the Church: Christ’s own Vicar on earth.
Peter was weak. But he was fully for Jesus. His weaknesses didn’t deter him from following the Lord. We see how Peter was converted again and again: he came back to Jesus again and again (as today’s gospel beautifully portrays). Conversion, as we might have guessed, is not a one-time event in our lives; it is a process of changing or transforming one’s heart. It is a heart transplant, a painful process of removing the heart of stone, and replacing it with the heart of flesh for love alone.
Peter tells us today: “Don’t be afraid of your weaknesses. Even I was weak.” We need to embrace our brokenness and woundedness. Perhaps this is our cross. Perhaps this is our death before our final, physical death. And as we learn from Jesus, it is only through death we receive life. Only through accepting the cross we get new life (resurrection).
Three times Peter betrayed the Lord. Three times he had to say, “I love you, Lord.” (This is what we read in today’s gospel.) You know, Lord, that I love you. Three times denial to three times affirmation. Three times, “I don’t know him,” to three times, “I love you, Lord.” Here is someone who moves from fear and wrongdoing, to love and deeper levels of love.
Any repetition is a deepening of commitment. Could these be three answers with three different meanings and increasingly deeper levels of commitment? Perhaps yes. Yes, I do love you… that moves from the head to the body and certainly to the heart. The final answer is certainly a heart level answer. Why do we repeat things? Why do we do certain actions again and again? Why do we say some words again and again? I want to mean more and more. I want to assure those things again and again. This is the movement to habits and eventually to virtues.
Peter affirms his love three times, and interestingly he is given three different missions. Each time it is a different command from Jesus: (1) Feed my lambs. (2) Take care of my sheep. (3) Feed my sheep.
(1) Lambs are the young ones of sheep. The young ones are to be fed and nourished in the Church. Peter as the head of the Church is given this job. (2) He is also given the job of tending and taking care of the sheep, the bigger ones and adult members of the Church. He is asked to shepherd the adults with good example and sound doctrines. (3) Peter, finally, is also asked to feed and nourish the adult members. Perhaps this also points to Peter’s martyrdom. To nourish the Church with his life sacrifice. This may be seen in Jesus’ prophecy of Peter’s suffering and martyrdom, which we read immediately after this: “Truly, truly I say to you, when you were younger, you tied your own belt and went where you wanted. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will put a belt around you and take you where you don’t wish to go.”
In this context, for one final time Jesus tells Peter, “Follow me,” and thus renews his invitation and challenge, how willingly Peter would need to follow him, even unto martyrdom, witnessing through death.
We read from Peter’s life (as given through Scriptures and Tradition), that suffering did not hinder Peter to follow Jesus. He did not betray him again. He gave his life. He gave himself to be crucified—and that too, upside down.
We need to listen to Jesus’ command of “Follow me,” again and again. Peter’s conversion, and Jesus’ forgiveness are stories that need to happen in our lives. God is ever willingly. But are we willing to receive his forgiveness?
The only greatness that gives honour to a human person is forgiveness. This is the story of salvation, redemption. Your own histories and struggles matter! Salvation lies just in them!
Nothing can stop God from loving us. God’s love does not depend on the faithfulness or the worthiness of the object. He loves. That’s all. He is love itself. God does not love us because we are good or worthy. God loves us because God is good, God’s nature itself is love.
And here’s the real surprise, God loves us precisely in our obstinate unworthiness and our repeated betrayals. He loves us when we are still a mixture of good and bad, even as we are only girding ourselves (preparing ourselves) for love.
You are not a perfectly loving person, and God still totally loves you.
(For a reflection on the first part of today’s gospel please see Jesus' Last Breakfast.)
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