WEEK TWENTY: APPEARANCES OF THE RISEN LORD - DAY 5
MORNING FACE TO FACE WITH GOD:
Begin with Prayer to the Holy Spirit
John 21: 18-19: Peter the Shepherd "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." [Please read John 21: 15-19 for a better appreciation of the passage].
Read the Reflection; ask for the grace to be glad and rejoice intensely because of the great joy and the glory of Christ our Lord (#221)
This account gives us a deep insight into Jesus as Master, and Peter as disciple. After breakfast, Jesus takes Peter aside and they have a memorable face to face, heart to heart encounter. Jesus has very high standards for His covenant relationship with Peter and us. However, given our feet of clay, the transformation will take place in stages through the empowerment of His Holy Spirit! Twice, Jesus asks Peter: "Do you love me more than these?" In both instances, Jesus is asking if Peter is willing to love Him to the point of laying down his life for him: 'Agapas me' in the Greek. Peter's response is sober and honest. He replies that he loves Jesus as a friend would: 'filo se' in the Greek. While Peter does not meet Jesus' standards of loving to the point of laying down one's life, He still trusts Peter, and incrementally asks him first to feed His lambs and then to tend His sheep. When Jesus asks Peter for the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me," Peter is hurt. From the Greek it becomes obvious why. Jesus asked him if he was willing to love Him even as a friend: 'fileis me' in the Greek. Peter feels convicted. Jesus is exposing his inner dispositions, and does not yet trust Peter's assessment of his love for Him. Once again, Peter's response is sober and honest: 'filo se' in the Greek. Oddly enough, Jesus gives him even greater responsibility and asks him to feed His sheep and be their good shepherd. Jesus then makes a prediction, suggesting His total confidence in the power of His Holy Spirit to transform Peter's life and ministry: "... 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" (21: 18-19). It needs to be observed that throughout this encounter Jesus addressed Peter as Simon, his name before he was brought into a covenant relationship with Jesus who gave him the name, Peter. This ardent, generous, and flawed disciple is slowly transformed by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
It is an interesting exchange between Peter and Jesus, they have been together and experienced much together. They know each other, especially Jesus knowing Peter. Will you lay down your life for Jesus? Peter denied Him three times even after witnessing Him as God. We may or may not to be asked to lay down our lives to die for Christ. If you know Him as friend then you will, if you do not know Him, why would you? It is in the daily experiences of conversations that we develop friendship with God. It is in experiencing each other in everyday life where the love grows within with our Triune God. "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." John 15:13 Relationship is an important part of discipleship.
What is God saying to you? Do you love me?
Dear Father, I pray I have Your strength if ever asked to lay down my life. Each day in small ways I lay it down and also realize there is more to be done within. Thank You for the cool of the morning and the time to visit. I trust in You for all things, bless this day and all it has to offer, Amen.
Mary, Queen of Martyrs, Pray for us.
St Joesph, Most Courageous, Pray for us.
Viva Cristo Rey
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4b
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