Saint Paul was being held in custody by the Roman authorities, in today’s first reading for mass from the book of Acts. He was waiting for a decision on whether he would be investigated further, or turned over to the Jewish religious leaders. He already went to trial before the Sanhedrin, but a decision still hadn’t been reached on what to do with him.
Does this sound familiar?
In today’s gospel, Jesus told Saint Peter that, “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 …”Follow me.”
That is exactly what Saint Peter and Saint Paul both did. They imitated Jesus Christ’s life, because their own people turned against them, and they went to trial and were condemned to death, just like Jesus was. In fact, every one of Jesus’s Apostles were killed, except Saint John who spent the end of his life in prison.
Saint Peter and Paul were saints. That didn’t mean they never sinned, because both of them sinned against the son of God, Jesus Christ himself. Saint Paul was guilty of the deaths of countless new Christians, and Saint Peter denied Jesus three times shortly after his arrest.
That is actually what Jesus is talking about in today’s gospel. Jesus said to Saint Peter:
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Saint Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you now that I love you.” Jesus answered him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to hi a 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.”
Did you happen to notice that all three of Christ’s commands were slightly different from each other?
1. Feed my lambs.
2. Tend my sheep.
3. Feed my sheep.
Peter denied Jesus three times, but Christ was letting him know that he forgave him for each occurrence that Peter denied him. Jesus also let Saint Peter know that he loved him, by his forgiveness. He also gave Peter the opportunity to make up for his sins, by serving him. Jesus told Saint Peter to follow him, because as his Apostle and founder of his new church, Peter would need to imitate Jesus’s life, even by his own death.
We can never earn Christ’s forgiveness. It is a gift that he freely gives to us. However, we can show Jesus our gratitude, and our love for him, by serving him with our lives.
Saint Peter sinned against Jesus himself, and Saint Paul sinned against Jesus too, by having the early Christians killed. Remember at Damascus, when Jesus appeared and asked Paul (Saul), “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Acts 9:4
Jesus also forgives our sins, and we can let go of the guilt too, through the sacrament of confession. But, the Lord Jesus Christ will also provide a way for us to show him just how much we love him, by how we live our lives from that point on. To not sin again is good, but to serve the Lord Jesus, by serving his people, is an even more excellent way, to serve Him.
Daily Mass Readings:
Acts 25: 13b-21 / Psalm 103 / John 21: 15-19
