Worcester, MA | Philadelphia, PA | Chaparral, NM
Acts 5: 27 - 32, 40b - 41
Revelation 5: 11 - 14
John 21: 1 - 19
Feed my sheep
The Risen Jesus appears to the disciples and they understand that Jesus is there on the banks of their daily life. Life has been taken up as before; the disciples return to their profession as fishermen. One question, however, remains: How is the community gathered around Jesus in the time of his ministry going to continue?
Jesus provokes a special meeting with Peter to give him the chance to tell his love for Jesus. During the dialogue, Peters mission is confirmed, beyond his reticence and opposition. Peter is called to become a shepherd, the guide for the flock which belongs to Christ. Feed my sheep. Jesus, himself, was presented as the true Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep, the door through which one enters to find salvation and be led to the Father (Jn 10). It is to Peter that Jesus entrusts this mission. And today, he entrusts it to each one of us. We are invited to give witness to the Good News of the Resurrection of Christ, just as the Apostles did. An extraordinary responsibility.
God comes through mediations, through intermediaries to reveal himself. We are called to be among them! As the Jewish philosopher Lvinas writes: The personal responsibility of humans with regard to humans is such that even God cannot annul it. It is a mission that is both a gift and an effort, an acceptance of struggle and combat. The Acts of the Apostles reminds us: We are witnesses of all these things, with the Holy Spirit that God gives to those who obey God.
As the Beloved Disciple, let us learn to recognize the presence of the Risen One in our lives and to proclaim with a cry of praise: It is the Lord! . Like Peter, let us hear the call to responsibility of giving witness to this presence and of taking care of our brothers and sisters.
— Sr. Sophie Ramond, R.A.