Loving the Lord and being Loved by Him

In today's Gospel, John 21: 15-19, Jesus asks Peter three times:  "'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"  Simon Peter answered him, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.'  Jesus said to 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 a third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was distressed that he had said to him 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'...."

Let us imagine this conversation between Jesus and ourselves:

      "Dorothy Ann (insert your name), do you love me?"
      "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
      "Feed my lambs."

      "Dorothy Ann (insert your name), do you love me?"
      "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you!"
      "Tend my sheep."

      "Dorothy Ann (insert  your name), do you love me?"
      "Yes, Lord you know everything. You KNOW that I love you."
      "Feed my sheep."

I might then ask the Lord: "Lord, why are you asking me this three times?" And his response might be: "Because, first of all,  I notice that you have an tendency to abandon my ways when the going gets rough just as Peter had done in his denials.  Second of all, I notice that you have a tendency to avoid sacrifices and take the easy way out, frustrating yourself in the long run and causing me the pain of seeing you in distress, even though I know that it is the distress that will catapult you into making more life-giving choices.  And third of all, I notice that you have a tendency to insist on being at my side on Calvary when I know that your spirit is willing but your flesh is weak, as was Peter's.  So, you see, I know that you love me but I also know that you need to be challenged in the same way that I challenged Peter. As with Peter, I am teaching you to depend upon me for the graces you need. Calling upon me repeatedly, you will, with Me at your side, feed and tend to my lambs and sheep.

Living a Gospel-centered life

Ever struggle with mouthing off and then regretting it?  Ever find it difficult to remain silent when your “truth” is being questioned, challenged, rejected and you think you are right? Ever insist on your opinion and then discover afterwards discover that you were wrong in the first place?   And unintentionally, your sharp,  piercing words have left your lips soaring into the air and into the hearts of others like bullets piercing a physical body, wounding the other in the deepest level of the self, leaving the other bleeding in one’s deepest core self.   

Today’s first reading reminds us that “Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider,” St. Paul asks us, “how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggles against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood” (Heb. 12: 1-4).  The martyrdom of remaining silent when “mouthing  off”  is the easier choice and the one that would injure another, would not be helpful, would not be kind,  would not even be true in some cases, is something we are capable of when we call upon the Holy Spirit whose  power is always at work within us.  If we keep our focus on Jesus, “the leader and perfecter of faith”, as Paul also counsels us in Heb. 12: 1-4, we will “rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us…”

Today’s Gospel contains the story of Jairus asking Jesus to come down and heal his little girl who is sick.  People from Jairus’ house, before Jesus arrives, meets Jairus and says: “Stop bothering Jesus. Your daughter is dead.”  Ever been told: “Drop it. It’s no use,” or worse still, “You’re useless; you’re worth nothing,” or “Don’t bother with so-and-so; he/she is not worth your effort. You are wasting your time.”   Jesus doesn’t believe the people who give up hope, who discourage belief in Jesus’ power to save, in your power and my power to be healed, to repent, to change our lives, to make a difference in the life of another; in short, to believe, as Jairus did, that Jesus and you and I, in cooperation with Jesus, make the difference.  “Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus” (Heb. 12: 14).