From the responsorial psalm: “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. The Lord has established his throne in heaven.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 21:15-19)
Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
After his resurrection, Jesus meets the disciples by the sea and asks Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Peter responds, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Two more times he asks Peter the same question until the third time Peter becomes distressed. “Lord, you know everything,” Peter says, “you know that I love you.” For each response from Peter, Jesus says, “Feed my lambs,” “Tend my sheep,” and “Feed my sheep.” By doing this, he asks Peter to lead the Church, to care for those Jesus himself guarded and protected. Although Peter may not have understood what Jesus meant, he told him that he would “stretch out his hands” as he is crucified as a martyr, glorifying God by laying down his life for the Gospel. As disciples facing rejection, persecution, and martyrdom, how far are we willing to go to glorify God?
Father in heaven, guide me with your hand today as I freely choose to serve you and do your will. Describing the ultimate price Peter would pay as he led the Church for the sake of the Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, “Follow me.” This is not an invitation I would readily accept. Yet, Peter’s threefold confirmation of his love for Christ reveals the depth of his faith and trust in him, even in the face of suffering and death. Lord, give me the grace needed, when the time comes, to trust you completely. Let me be attentive to what Jesus told the disciples: “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Help me today hear and take up the invitation of Christ to follow him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.