Simon, Do You Love Me?

Friday 21st May 2021. Read Acts 25:13-21, Psalm 103 and John 21:15-19 

“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.’” (John 21:15)

Very often, you hear people say: “Love is blind.” The meaning of this is that when we are in love, we become blind to the limitations of the other person or better put, we are able to bear with whatever pain or suffering the person brings to us. 

Love is like the energy that keeps us going. When you love your job, you do not see it as “work” because you enjoy doing it but when you hate your job, even the simplest tasks are like punishments for you. This is why it was necessary for Jesus to ask Peter three times if he loved Him.

If Peter was to succeed in feeding the lambs of Jesus, it was absolutely necessary that Jesus remained the only love of his life. For all those times Peter would have to suffer for the sake of the faith, he would think back and remember how he said “yes” to Jesus’ question.

Jesus even went as far as predicting the kind of death Peter would die; how he would stretch his hands while others will tie his belt and take him where he does not wish to go. Love takes no record of wrongs; love never ends; love never gives up.

Dear friends, let us try to answer this question today. Imagine you were Peter and Jesus is asking you: “Do you Love me?” What would be your response? How deep is your love for God? To what extent are you willing to suffer for God’s sake?

If in your opinion the Christian life is hard/impossible, it is a sign that you do not love God. Love is not something we can pretend about. Jesus tells us: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)

Our first reading today contains one episode of the account of Paul’s travails for the sake of spreading the Gospel. In truth, the only thing that kept Paul going was his ever-burning love for God.

Let us pray: Come Holy Spirit and enkindle in us your Sacred Fire. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Friday of the 7th week of Eastertide. Bible Study: Acts 25:13-21, Psalm 103 and John 21:15-19).