St. Christopher Magallanes, Priest & Companions, martyrs 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

Acts 25:13b-21

 Some days later King Agrippa

And his sister Bernice arrived in Cae­sarea to greet Fes­tus. As they were to stay there several days, Festus told the king about Paul’s case and said to him,  “We have here a man whom Felix left as a prisoner. When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews accused him and asked me to sentence him.

I told them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over a man without giving him an opportunity to defend himself in front of his accusers. So they came and I took my seat without delay on the tribunal and sent for the man.

 When the accusers had the floor, they did not accuse him of any of the crimes that I was led to think he had committed; instead they quarreled with him about religion and about a certain Jesus who has died but whom Paul asserted to be alive. I did not know what to do about this case, so I asked Paul if he wanted to go to Jerusalem to be tried there. But Paul appealed to be judged by the emperor. So I ordered that he be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.”

 

Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20ab

The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

  John 21:15-19

 After they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Si­mon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” And Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”  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.   Truly, I say to you, when you were young you put on your belt and walked where you liked. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and another will put a belt around you and lead you where you do not wish to go.”

 Jesus said this to make known the kind of death by which Peter was to glorify God. And he added, “Follow me.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

After appearing to them again on the shores of Lake Tiberias, Jesus now gives Peter the chance to redeem himself. Out of human weakness, Peter denied his Lord and master three times. Now, Jesus wants him to reaffirm his faith in him by professing love three times. It is a heavy exercise.

In a world where love is lip service and liberally used by anyone and everyone without meaning it, it seems an easy thing to do. Love that is honest and true is hard to profess. It is drawn from the deepest recesses of the heart. That is why some of us only say it once in a lifetime. It is a death experience where you bare your inmost soul in honest vulnerability.

Peter has to do it three times. His third time is the limit of his capacity to do so. Perhaps it is the limit of our own capacity to profess love honestly as well. What he did is enough for him to return to Jesus' friendship. He is once again commanded to follow his Lord.