Friday the Seventh Week of Easter

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them,
he 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.”
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.”
John 21:15-19

Prayer

Dear Father how many times have you asked this of us in the recesses of our hearts, now I wonder how many of those times we too have denied you without ever acknowledging your call of love. Just as Jesus asked Simon Peter to feed and tend the lambs and sheep so he too asks this of us each day. Do we love him just as he asks Simon Peter, and if we do then we too should be tending and feeding the lambs and sheep. He asks about love for him and our response is yes, but often we do not love our neighbor as we should. To love our Lord fully we must also love those around us, feed them and tend to them with love and care with the Gospel message. That God is love. May we also say yes Lord we love you with all our hearts, and follow you each and every day. Amen