Petition: Let my love for Christ express itself in bringing others to him.
Gospel Passage: John 21: 1 19
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."
Introductory Prayer: Dear Jesus Christ, you know all things. You know my strengths, my weaknesses and even my sins. Yet you also know the great desire I have to love you. Help me Lord, so that my love for you and my neighbor will become a joyful proclamation of your forgiveness and love to others.
1. "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
The Gospel reader, the other apostles, and most importantly Peter himself, immediately realize the reference Christ wants to make by asking Peter three times if he loves him. Once again in the presence of a charcoal fire Peter has the opportunity to reaffirm the love he so adamantly denied on the eve of Christs death (John 18: 16 27). Christ isnt looking to humiliate Peter but to help him recover from his fall. Far from bitterness or rancor, Christ is reaffirming his love for Peter and inviting Peter to do the same.
Christ makes it very clear that whats most important is love. No other question is asked of Peter. This is, if you will, the only question that matters. It is the question that will be asked at the end of our lives: Did you love?
It is love that gives weight to all we do. St. Paul writes, If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:1 8a).
2. "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."
Peter has radically changed since the Last Supper. His past promise, "Even though all become deserters, I will not," has transformed into Lord, you know everything; you know I love you (Mark 14:29 and John 21:17). Peter didnt lack sincerity or love before Christs passion; he lacked humility. Before the resurrection, he was basing his fidelity upon his own strength. After his denial of Christ, his only boast was, you know I love you (John 21:27). Peters love for Christ remains, but now its a love combined with humility.
Aware of his weakness Peter had to depend all the more on Christ. As St. Paul writes, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12: 9b 10).
3. "Feed my sheep.
Now was the moment when Christ could really begin working through Peter. A sincere love combined with a humble confidence in Christ would be the necessary elements to commence the mission, a mission to feed Christs sheep. This was true for Peter as the first pope, but it is true for every Christian by nature of their baptism, I have often repeated the summons to the new evangelization. I do so again now, especially in order to insist that, we must revive in ourselves the burning conviction of Paul, who cried out: 'Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel' (1 Corinthians 9:16). This passion will not fail to stir in the Church a new sense of mission, which cannot be left to a group of specialists but must involve the responsibility of all the members of the People of God. Those who have come into genuine contact with Christ cannot keep him for themselves, they must proclaim him (Nuovo Milennio Ineunte, n. 40).
Conversation: Lord Jesus, like Peter I often try to rely on myself to follow you and then get discouraged when I see that my own strength so often falls short. Grant me the grace to rely on you and serve those around me.
Questionnaire:
1. What manifestations are there in my daily life that I depend more on my own strength than God's grace? Why don't I pray more often and with greater faith for the necessary grace to fulfill all God asks of me?
2. Why do I only show confidence in Christ when all else around me fails in helping me achieve what I desire?
3. What am I doing to feed the sheep that Christ has entrusted to my care? In what daily circumstances do I come out of myself to bring Christ to others? How do I take advantage of all the opportunities presented to me during every day to preach the Gospel?
