Reading of the Holy Gospel of John
(Jh 21, 15-19)
When Jesus appeared to His disciples, after breakfast he asked Simon Peter: “Simon of John, do you love me more than these?” He answered Him: “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” He said to him: “Feed my lambs!” He asked him a second time: “Shimune of John, do you love me?” He answered him: “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You!” He said to him: “Feed my sheep!” He asked him a third time: “Simon of John, do you love me ?” Peter was saddened that he asked him the third time: “Do you love me?” and answered him: “Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him: “Feed my sheep!”
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee:
When you were younger,
you girded yourself
and walked where you wanted;
but when you get old
you will spread your arms
and others will gird you
and lead where you don’t want to go.’And he said that to him, hinting at the kind of death he would glorify God with. Having said that, he added: “Follow me!”
Word of God.
Dearest in Christ, in the Truth of the Word,
Today, the Gospel shows us so vividly the importance of love. Let’s just imagine what it’s like when Jesus talks about the moments of glorifying God of one apostle… one Simon Ivanov, while he is not even aware of it. Yes, Peter did not know what kind of death he would glorify God with. These words of Jesus, addressed to him… Peter himself knows how they were understood, while this interpretation of the celebration of God, Peter still listens to the echo in his soul of that question: “Do you love me?”
Let’s take the side of one apostle, one Peter… What I’m interested in here is… What did Peter want to say with the words: You know…? Can human love be fully known to anyone, let alone God himself? God is the only one who knows everything, and human love even more so.
Beloved devotees of Christ, humbly through life, because only God determines everything and bestows it on everyone… It is only necessary to be aware of some things a little more, and we have to influence St. Josip, fiancé of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. To Peter, the apostle for the sanctity of death… for the sanctity of our celebration of the Living God.
Source:
- Holy Congregation for Divine Worship (2007); Order of Readings, Svagdanja Čitanja, Krsćanska Sadašnjost, Zagreb