Memorial of St. Pius X, Pope
The Gospel reading for today’s Memorial of Pope St. Pious X takes us to Peter and Jesus’ conversation on the shore after Jesus’ resurrection (John 21:15-17). It almost reminds me of the repeated questioning of an annoying child or insecure lover. “Do you love me?” Jesus asks Peter repeatedly. Three times in a row!
Although Jesus isn’t an annoying child or an insecure lover, I wonder what Peter thought at the time. We read that after answering Jesus affirmatively the first two times, Peter was “distressed” when Jesus asked the question yet a third time. “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” And that’s it exactly….
Jesus does know, and is giving Peter the opportunity to profess his love of Him the same number of times that he denied even knowing Him. (Did Peter “get it”? I wonder when, if ever, it dawned on him.) And that’s not all. With that love, Jesus exhorts Peter to care for His flock: “Feed my lambs…Tend my sheep…Feed my sheep.” Jesus not only forgives Peter, but entrusts him with greater responsibility.
A few verses after this passage, Jesus invites Peter, “Follow me.” (vs 19b) Peter is given a second chance, and he accepts it. It’s not an easy undertaking, yet an unspeakable privilege. And it causes me to wonder, when you and I are given a second (or third or fourth) chance, how do we respond? What does “Follow me” look like for each of us disciples today? This week? This year?
Let us ask the Spirit to grant us the humility, strength, and faith of Peter to follow the Risen One who loves us and asks us to love in return. Amen.
—Eileen Miller