Friday May 26, 2023

John 21:15-19

“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?”

Have you ever wondered why Jesus asked Simon Peter that question three times? Because, Peter like a politician never really answered it the first time around. Or maybe Peter had to grow like most of us in his understanding of love. Actually maybe we need to revisit the question itself. I have come to learn that the word translated as love had three different meanings. It meant (1) Love as in brotherly love, (2) Love as in romantic love and (3) Love as in sacrificial love.

So Our Lord asks Perter if he has Agape love for him, sacrificial love and Peter answers yes Lord I love you like a brother. Eventually St Peter answers I would die for you.

I actually see it as growth. When you have come to know someone, you find yourself one with them. What our Lord asks of us the church is not to count numbers but to truly know and love our parishioners. I hold you in my prayers today and want you to know that you have more than a friend in me. Sometimes our parishioners just want someone who would visit, someone to talk to, someone to listen.

I heard a story years ago that I have told many a time about two drinking buddies. Like Jesus one buddy asked the other three times if his friend loved him. Then he asked “If you love me, do you know what pains me?”