Third Sunday of Easter

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “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.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” Jesus said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus 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.”

After denying Jesus three times, discovering the empty tomb of Jesus, and being visited by Jesus on two occasions, Peter decides to go out fishing. Peter used to be a fisherman. He’s familiar with the life of a fisherman and he probably would find great comfort in doing something that is “normal” after the events following Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Sometimes when we go through difficult times or times of great change, we have a tendency to seek out the familiar and attempt to rediscover our comfort zone. However, just like Peter, we can discover that our old life isn’t as fulfilling as it was. We’ve changed too much. Something within us has been transformed so utterly by an experience that our old lives aren’t rewarding anymore. It is at this point that we have the opportunity to grow as individuals and accept our new callings. We might not understand what exactly God is asking of us, but as long as we are willing to make up for our previous denials, procrastination, and hesitancy, then we shall find a new way to live. We shall be able love God as we should and take the first steps to feeding and tending His flock in our own unique fashions.

Do we love God more than all the people and things of this world? Are we willing to feed and tend God’s flock on this earth with the time, treasures, and talents He has given us? What changes is God asking us to make in our own lives?

O Lord, you know that we love you.

Amen.

Fifteenth Monday of Ordinary Time

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Today’s gospel is full of hard teachings. Jesus tells us we need to love him more than our family, to take up our cross, and to lose our lives for his sake. The first teaching is not about rejecting our families because they are bad for us, but rather that we should not cling to them so tightly that we miss opportunities to do God’s Will. Sometimes when we are with family we have a harder time acting Christ-like toward them. However this is what Jesus wants us to do. He wants us to be able to leave our family behind and come follow him. He also asks us to take up our crosses. This is also a difficult thing to do. We might be comfortable with our lives or feel like we are suffering enough. However, we should never fear bearing the cross with Christ. He will always give us the strength we need to carry our burdens. The worst thing we can do is reject our cross because by doing so we reject the sacrifices of Christ. Lastly, Jesus asks us to lose our lives for him and seek him, rather than the pleasures of the world. Life isn’t bad, it’s good, but if we don’t orient our lives toward God, then we can corrupt the inherent goodness of life by focusing on living for our own sakes, instead of living for God.

Do we love our family and friends more than God? Have we picked up our crosses or denied them? Do we live our lives for God or for ourselves?

O Lord, grant us the grace to pick up our crosses and love you more than our families and ourselves.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.

We can acknowledge Jesus in many ways. We can meditate upon his life, death, and resurrection. We can proclaim him with our words, not just those offered up in prayer, but also in those kind or comforting words we speak to others. We can give glory to him also through our every work, great or small. When we act with faith, hope, and love, we acknowledge Jesus by living out his gospel message. However, we can also deny Jesus in our thoughts, speech, and deeds. When we dwell on evil things, complain about or put down another person, or commit a sin or fail to do good works, we reject Jesus in our selfishness.

In what ways do we acknowledge Jesus through our thoughts, words, and works? On the flip side, how do we deny him through these things? What can we do better in light of these questions?

O Lord, help us to acknowledge you in all things.

Amen.

Seventh Friday of Easter

Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.

These words are spoken by the risen Christ after he asks Peter if he loves him three times. These three yes’s make up for Peter’s three denials of Jesus during his trial. They make clear that Peter has accepted Jesus’ message completely and that he is ready to feed and tend the spiritual flock of Christ’s followers. We too deny Christ in great and small ways throughout our lives and as we mature in our faith there comes many moments in our lives when God asks us “Do you love me?” Hopefully, we answer with an emphatic “Yes!” as many times as He asks us! However, when we do give our assent to His Will, we must be willing to allow God to dress us as he wishes and lead us where He wills, even to those places where we do not wish to go.

Do we love God more than all worldly things? What do we do to feed and tend God’s flock? Are we willing to allow Jesus to lead us to where we do not want to go?

O Lord, we love you, lead us where your will.

Amen.

Good Friday

“Didn't I see you in the garden with him?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately the cock crowed.

Sin can be a very subtle thing. It can sneak up on us when we least expect it and lead us to think, say, or do something wrong. This is what happens to Peter in today’s gospel. He is concerned with what is happening to Jesus, which is a good thing, yet when he is confronted by others about his involvement with Christ, he denies Our Lord three times. He doesn't even know what he is doing until the cock crows. And one must wonder if he would have known he was sinning if Jesus had not warned him about what would happen. He might have kept on denying Jesus if not for the foretold sign of the cock’s crow. When we are in the midst of sin we often don’t know that we are. We need someone or something else to reveal it to us. Then, once we recognize our sin we have a choice to make, we can continue to sin or we can seek forgiveness and reconcile ourselves to Our Lord.

What are the subtle sins in our lives? Are there any warning signs we've been ignoring or been told to us by others? If we are denying Jesus in some way how can we make amends for our sins?

O Lord, we know we have denied you, but please forgive us as you did Peter.

Amen.