Today’s Gospel proclamation is taken from the last chapter of the St. John’s Gospel. This passage is significant to St. Peter and his mission to come, so is it for us as we ponder on the living word of God today. Our Lord Jesus asks Peter, son of John thrice if he loves Him. This situation is linked with the three denials of St. Peter when Jesus was taken into custody. He denies Jesus three times and he truly repents and now he is back with the Lord. This is truly the message Jesus wants to give the Church. We are forgiven and our ef- fort to reconcile is recognised by God. He simply wants us to trust Him.

Our Lord Jesus is speaking to us today by name. Just like how he questioned Peter. Do you love me my child? It is not that he does not know the love we have for Him but He delights in listening to us accepting our love for Him. We are in the same position as Peter. We have denied the Lord and chosen the world in so many situations. We have denied Him infront of our friends, our family even in our own crises. We have denied the reign of our Lord and accepted our own will in situations sometimes for the same reason as Peter, just to avoid the discomfort or certain situations in life. Today the Lord through the Gospel is talking to us and assuring us that He knows we have failed Him a 1000 times or more, but He trusts and loves us so much that He assures us with so much of responsibility just like He trusted Peter with His people – His Church.

Peter had no qualifications to be the leader of the Church. Peter himself would have not imagined that Jesus would still want him to be the leader after what had happened in the courtyard where he denied the Lord. Let us ponder on the three questions by the Lord today. Jesus is asking us individually today, do you love me more than these? These could mean all the wealth, power, pleasures of the world. His question is simple but yet we need to understand it personally. He asks us the second and third time – Do you love me? He’s interested about how WE love Him. Not how our father, mother, husband/wife or worship leader, etc is loving Him. Jesus’ wish for us is to love Him like Us, not like anyone else. He craves us to love Him in our own special way.

Prayer: Abba Father, forgive us for falling short in loving You like You deserve. We repent as you give us the grace to love You, Your Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.