When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to 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 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. (John 21:15-17 NABRE)
The threefold confession of Peter is meant to counteract his earlier threefold denial (John 18:17, 25, 27). The First Vatican Council cited these verses in defining that Jesus after his resurrection gave Peter the jurisdiction of supreme shepherd and ruler over the whole flock.*
During this Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis encourages each of us to forgive and to live out the other corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Recognizing that our traditions begin and end with Jesus, we do well to look deeply into the heart of the Church rather than, as so many do these days, look only at it's veneer which is a collage of sinners in search of Jesus' mercy and love.
Today, I will begin reading Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family, "The Joy of Love."
Saint Fulbert, strong opponent of overly rationalistic tendencies which extol reasoned arguments above the teachings of the Church and the testimony of the Bible, pray for us.
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