John 21:15-19
In today’s passage, we may wonder why Jesus repeated his question, which evidently upset Peter. But every time Jesus asks him, Peter responds affectionately that Jesus knows him well and that he loves him as a friend, more than the other apostles. Jesus then entrusts Peter with a mission for every response. Feed the leaders of his flock with Christ like Love, Tend to his flock like a good shepherd who is even ready to die to protect his flock. Feed the new comers to the community, the children, the weak in faith, they need special care and attention. Jesus makes Peter the Universal Pastor of his flock and entrusts them to his care and love.
In every relationship, we too are often faced with this question, by our parents, children, spouse, friends, siblings – Do you love me? We pour out our love on those who appeal to us and make us happy and starve others who probably don’t meet our expectations. But Jesus loved without expectations… to the extent that he gave up his life for us. Are we willing to love unconditionally, persevere to bring back the lost sheep and tend to their wounds and nurse them back to health. Let’s reflect on our lives and work on that missing piece to build a better ‘Church’.
