THE 10-DAY HOLY SPIRIT CHALLENGE: Day 3 “Do you love me?”

 


Scripture text: St. John’s Gospel 21.1-19

     Yesterday’s passage and today’s frame Simon’s journey with Jesus like two bookends.  Today’s episode was one of the last times that Simon saw Jesus before Jesus’ ascension (cf. Ac. 1.1-11).  Of course, a lot happened between these two moments, and Simon would have liked to be able to forget several incidents.  Simon, you see, was a person who sincerely desired to do the right thing, but often failed miserably to do what he had intended to do.  Can you relate?  Often, we are full of good intentions, but we don’t follow through or worse, we end up betraying someone we care deeply about.  This is exactly what happened to Simon…

     During the Last Supper (the night before Jesus’ death), Simon had promised Jesus that no matter what happened, he would stay by his side, even if it cost him his life.  Before long, those words would come to haunt Simon.  A few hours later, Jesus was arrested and Simon followed, concealing himself in the shadows.  As Jesus was on trial, people started to recognize Simon as being a disciple of Jesus. Overcome with fear, Simon denied knowing Jesus – three times.  He who would die for his master and friend, in the end, couldn’t even admit to being his follower.  Jesus went to the cross, betrayed by one follower, disowned by another and abandoned by all.

     And so, in today’s story, the risen Jesus takes Simon aside.  We can only imagine what was going through Simon’s mind. But Jesus simply asks him a question – three times.  “Do you love me?”  Simon responds, “Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you.”  Jesus does know all things.  He had known precisely who Simon was the moment he called him away from his fishing boat.  Jesus knew the wounds that made Simon fold under pressure, but he also knew Simon’s desire to be brave and loyal.  That desire was enough; the Spirit would eventually fan that spark into a roaring blaze.  Simon-Peter would go on to lead the Jerusalem community of Jesus followers and later make his way to Rome where he would, yes, lose his life because of his loyalty to Jesus.  St. Peter’s basilica now stands above the site of his grave.  Nothing you can do can make Jesus love you any more or any less.  Jesus loves you unconditionally.  Let the Spirit communicate the love of Jesus to you.  May Jesus’ love set you free from all fear and shame.

The Thomas Merton prayer:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

“The Merton Prayer” from Thoughts in Solitude Copyright © 1956, 1958 by The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani. Used by permission of Farrar Straus Giroux.

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