You know that I love you

17 MAY (Jn 21,15-19)

Never had in the Old Testament such a thing occurred. Never has the Lord asked a love greater than any other love towards him before entrusting the prophetic mission. Everything stemmed instead from the love of the Lord for the man to be saved. Jeremiah tells us that he had been seduced by God and that is why he was as tied to him by an unbreakable bond that always drove him forward in his prophetic ministry.

You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed. All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I must cry out, violence and outrage is my message; The word of the Lord has brought me derision and reproach all the day. I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it. Yes, I hear the whisperings of many: “Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!” All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. “Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.” But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion. O Lord of hosts, you who test the just, who probe mind and heart, Let me witness the vengeance you take on them, for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked! Cursed be the day on which I was born! May the day my mother gave me birth never be blessed! Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father, saying, “A child, a son, has been born to you!” filling him with great joy. Let that man be like the cities which the Lord relentlessly overthrew; Let him hear war cries in the morning, battle alarms at noonday, because he did not dispatch me in the womb! Then my mother would have been my grave, her womb confining me forever. Why did I come forth from the womb, to see sorrow and pain, to end my days in shame? (Jer 20,7-18).

Everything changes with Peter. In the New Testament one is appointed to a ministry of love, to an office of charity, to a service of piety in the truth. The higher you are in the responsibility of salvation to others and the greater must the love for Jesus be. Since Peter has to graze sheep and lambs, that is the whole Church of the love of Christ and his truth, Jesus asks him a love greater than all the other disciples. It is as if one had to dispense his brothers every day a load of most pure gold. This person is obliged to own gold in an unlimited amount, more than any other in the world, otherwise never might he fulfill his obligation. No one can distribute what he does not possess.

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. 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.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Peter must fill with all the love of Jesus, of his charity, faith, hope, holiness, justice and truth, all who believe in Him. His capability of love must be in all like those of Jesus Christ. He has the place of Christ Jesus. He is the visible foundation of unity of the whole Church, because of this office and this ministry, never might his love be little. It must always be a much, very much, more than the one of the whole Church in every one of her members, since every student must enjoy how pure and how holy his love for Lord Jesus is. Peter and Jesus must not be two separate and distinct loves, but one love, one truth, one sacrifice and one martyrdom. The more Peter become one thing and one life with Jesus; and the more he might fulfill his office. If he will be detached from Christ the Lord, he will always be infallible in the truth he gives, but it will be a truth without love does not save.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints make us one with Jesus.