YES, LORD, YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU!
Peter, full of remorse and humility, unequivocally stated that he loved
his Master and was willing to serve Him at any cost.
Does the fire of
God's love burn in your heart? Why did Jesus question Peter's love and fidelity
three times in front of the other Apostles? It must have caused Peter deep pain
and sorrow knowing that he had publicly denied Jesus three times. Now Peter, full
of remorse and humility, unequivocally stated that he loved his Master and was
willing to serve Him at any cost. When Jesus asks him, "Do you love Me
more than these?" He may have pointed to Peter's previous boast,
"Though all may have their faith in You shaken, mine will never be"
(Mt 26:33). Peter now makes no boast or comparison but humbly responds,
"You know that I love You."
I had to ask myself
the same question Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love Me?" And I am sure
you have asked yourself that question as well from time to time. It seems to me
that when I ask that question, something in particular has caused me to ask it.
Perhaps it's at times when there are things that seem to be separating me from
Jesus or when I want to do it my way and not His. But when we ask for His help
and really turn to Him, He's always there waiting to listen and to come to our
aid. He has given us the Church to help guide us and teach us.
We were created
with a deep hunger and thirst for Him. Jesus was eager to leave us with the
means to nourish us by His gift. In giving the pastoral charge to St. Peter,
Jesus expressed His mission in terms of nourishment: "Feed My sheep."
The ministry carried on by the successors of St. Peter within the Church is
that of spiritual nourishment. "The two parts which, in a certain sense,
go to make up the Mass, namely, the Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharistic
Liturgy, are so closely connected with each other that they form but one single
act of worship" (Sacrosanctum Concilium 56).
This is God helping
us to know and live in His love and for each of us to share that love with one
another. Each one of us is called, through our baptism, to be a disciple and to
spread the Good News each and every day. Do we truly allow God's love to change
and transform our hearts? May we say these words in our prayer today:
"Yes, Lord, You know that I love You!"