Loving the Lord
"Do you love me?" (John 21:16)
"Do you love me?" (John 21:16)
The Gospel we hear today is filled with rich moments; the fishermen catching an excess of fish signifying the abundance of life that Christ has to offer, Peter's zeal in seeing the Lord and jumping out of the boat, Jesus breaking bread with his disciples to gather for another meal, and so on.
In the midst of these verses that can be untangled to serve as beautiful sources of meditation, we hear Jesus ask a very simple question to his disciple: "Do you love me?" There are a great many things that our tradition has drawn from this encounter between Jesus and Simon Peter; but, we can remember that Christ is asking us too in this very moment, if we love him.
We can be honest a vulnerable in our answer to Jesus. No matter what we say, whether it's yes, no, or I don't know, we can retain confidence in the fact the Jesus will be steadfast in his love for us. It is easy to drift from the core of what it means to be Christian, but answering the question that Jesus asks on the beach can help us to remain deeply rooted in our relationship with the Lord.
How do you respond in your heart when you imagine Jesus asking: "Do you love me?"
Lord, send me the strength to be completely open with you as I answer what you have asked me. Amen.
Nicole Patterson is an Echo Apprentice at Our Lady of Lourdes in Dunedin, FL. Echo is a two-year service graduate program that allows apprentices to work on their Master of Theology at the University of Notre Dame while serving the Church at various Dioceses around the country. Previously, Nicole graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, KS with a degree in Theology and a member of Benedictine College Women’s Soccer. In her free time, Nicole enjoys hiking, reading, and playing pickleball.
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