A second time Jesus said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" And Peter answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Look after my sheep."
And a third time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was saddened because Jesus asked him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."
Jesus then said, "Feed my sheep.
John 21: 15-17
In the piece The Obituary from the book John Paul II, there's a mention where the late Pope pondered on this gospel passage to the extent of incorporating it in his life as a guiding tool:
The Pope read only the beginning and end of his sermon, handing over the middle stretch to a senior Vatican official. In it, he reflected on the question that Jesus put to Peter on the shore of Lake Tiberias: "Do you love me?" Every day since then, John Paul said, that conversation had been repeated in his heart.
How many times have we started our days with the same question?
For me, the day starts with an inventory of what I'm supposed to do, some petitions, and so on. For some, it starts with the morning routine: cooking food, thinking about work, getting ready for school.
I guess nobody starts the day by thinking about this passage, about what JC has been asking us over the centuries: "Do you love me?"
It's crazy how a four-word question could be so difficult to answer, even as it tugs at the heart. And, in a moment of confusion and utter sincerity, I ask myself, "Do I, Lord? I do not know. I do not know how to love you."
Teach me how.
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