First reading Acts 25:13-21
‘I ordered Paul to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar’
King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul’s case before the king. ‘There is a man here’ he said ‘whom Felix left behind in custody, and while I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against him, demanding his condemnation. But I told them that Romans are not in the habit of surrendering any man, until the accused confronts his accusers and is given an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. So they came here with me, and I wasted no time but took my seat on the tribunal the very next day and had the man brought in. When confronted with him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected; but they had some argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man called Jesus whom Paul alleged to be alive. Not feeling qualified to deal with questions of this sort, I asked him if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried there on this issue. But Paul put in an appeal for his case to be reserved for the judgement of the august emperor, so I ordered him to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar.’
Responsorial Psalm 102(103):1-2,11-12,19-20
The Lord has set his sway in heaven.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all his blessings.
For as the heavens are high above the earth
so strong is his love for those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west
so far does he remove our sins.
The Lord has set his sway in heaven
and his kingdom is ruling over all.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his angels,
mighty in power, fulfilling his word.
Gospel John 21:15-19
Feed my lambs, feed my sheep
Jesus showed himself to his disciples, and after they had eaten he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.
‘I tell you most solemnly,
when you were young
you put on your own belt
and walked where you liked;
but when you grow old
you will stretch out your hands,
and somebody else will put a belt round you
and take you where you would rather not go.’
In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’
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From love to mission
After denying Jesus, Peter meets the risen Lord. Jesus asks him three times, “Do you love me?” Each of these questions addresses Peter’s past denial. When Peter confesses his love, Jesus does not blame him. Instead, He gives Peter a task: “Feed my lambs,” “Feed my sheep.” The message is clear: love received leads to love shown.
Our love for others is born out of a loving relationship with Jesus. Jesus entrusts the mission of shepherding His people to Peter, and He uses the word “feed”, which underscores the fact that mission is not merely a theoretical concept, but is both practical and active. Today, Jesus poses the same question to us that He asks Peter, “Do you love me?” Regardless of how we respond, Jesus continues to entrust His people in our care, calling us to actively care for and serve those whom God has placed in our lives. At the end of the passage, Jesus tells Peter to “Follow me.” Today, He extends the same invitation to us, “Follow me.” This call reminds us that taking care of the flock goes hand in hand with following the Shepherd.
Reflective question:
Who has Jesus entrusted to my care, and how am I caring for them?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
