Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Turn. Love. Repeat.

Home
Catholic
Love Asks for Love

Love Asks for Love

Last updated on: May 21, 2021 at 3:35 pm by Fr. Stephanos Pedrano, O.S.B.

Love Asks for Love 2021-05-21T15:35:16-08:00 Fr. Stephanos Pedrano, O.S.B.

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Love asks for love, the Good Shepherd asks for good shepherds.

Love asks for love, the Good Shepherd asks for good shepherds. Image from the Aberdeen Bestiary. Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain.

Love asks us to live in its image,
after its likeness, in God’s own image.

John 21:15-19 for Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter.

Today in his Gospel, we hear Christ ask for love: Simon… do you love me more…?

Before his death, Christ had said:

I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
He who is a hireling and not a shepherd,
whose own the sheep are not,
sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. [Jn. 10:11-12]

And just so, in the garden of Gethsemane, Simon Peter saw the wolf come to arrest Christ, and Simon ran away.

But today in his Gospel, Christ risen from the dead commanded Simon four times to be a good shepherd and follow him.

Feed my lambs.

Tend my sheep.

Feed my sheep.

Follow me.

Nonetheless, Christ the Good Shepherd foretold that Simon would in the end lay down his own life for Christ’s flock, so that by death he would glorify God.

The words of Christ the Good Shepherd will sound at the altar in a few moments.

From his altar, Christ truly upholds himself as the Lamb of God: in his true Body given up for us, and in his true Blood poured out for us in death by which he glorified God the Father.

Sometimes we flock as sheep to Christ, and we hear his voice, as he would have it, and we follow him, as he would have it.

But at other times we may tear into him as wolves, wanting our own way, thinking Christ is there merely to satisfy our needy hungers.

And, at other times, like hirelings, we take our pay from the altar, but then we run away, frightened of the work Christ gives us.

From his altar he invites us to eat and drink the new and eternal covenant in his Body and Blood, and to do what he does in memory of him.

… this is my Body… given up for you.

… this is… my Blood… poured out for you….

Do this in memory of me.

And so, in memory of him, we turn to his Body and Blood with his Gospel burning within us.

… do you love me more…?

Follow me.

Turn. Love. Repeat.

Previous Post

May 19, 2021

Pandemic, Social Distancing, Masks, Houses of Worship

Next Post

May 22, 2021 We Share the Dignity of God From God, of Light From Light

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was forbidden after the conquest of Jericho?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Offering sacrifices Celebrating with a feast Taking plunder Rebuilding the city