How Do I Love Thee

𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀𝐜 𝟓𝟐𝟕-𝟑𝟐, 𝟒𝟎-𝟒𝟏

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟑𝟎:𝟐-𝟔, 𝟏𝟏-𝟏𝟑 “𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞.”

𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐑𝐞𝐯 𝟓:𝟏𝟏-𝟏𝟒

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐉𝐍 𝟐𝟏:𝟏-𝟏𝟗

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑭𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆.” (𝑱𝒏 15:19)

    The Gospel reading for today the Third Sunday of Easter that we find in 𝐉𝐧 𝟐𝟏:𝟏-𝟏𝟗 has two parts. The first part (𝐯𝐯.𝟏-𝟏𝟒) was already read on April 25, 2025. A second part that we read in 𝐯𝐯.𝟏𝟓-𝟏𝟗 refers to the dramatic and exciting exchange between Our Lord Jesus Christ and Peter.

To grasp the drama of this exchange between Jesus and Peter in today’s Gospel, it would be advisable for you to go back to 𝐉𝐧 𝟏𝟑:𝟑𝟕 where we see Peter professing his utmost loyalty to Jesus saying: “𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”

Of the 72 disciples who regularly travel with Jesus and even among the 12 who comprised his inner circle there was no one who was as fiercely loyal as Peter, but he was also known for being impulsive and hasty and this profession of his readiness to die for Jesus was probably borne of his impetuous nature.       

And we can see this in 𝐉𝐧 𝟏𝟖:𝟏𝟕, 𝟐𝟓, 𝟐𝟕 when Peter denied any relations with Jesus, and he probably could not figure out why he did what Jesus had predicted he would do. Because not all that happened in those days found their way in the Sacred Scriptures, we don’t know how Peter felt after he denied Jesus not just once but three times.

We also don’t know how he found his way back to the Upper Room and how the other disciples treated him. His denial must have reached the other disciples since there was someone with Peter when he entered the courtyard where Jesus was held.

What we only know is what was depicted in this scenario when after partaking of their breakfast at the seashore, Jesus led Peter to an experience that would forever be engraved in his heart as this encounter practically erased the guilt of Peter.

Not only did Peter receive forgiveness for the number of times he denied Jesus, but this encounter had spelled out what can now be viewed as the primary objective of the mission which Peter and the other disciples are to pursue.

Why did Jesus ask Peter three times? Generally, we are often told that this was because Peter had to be forgiven for the number of times that he denied Jesus. However, this encounter was not just about Peter being forgiven but what we see here was the assurance that Jesus needed that Peter can very well live up to the role that Jesus had given him to build the church that Christ has established (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝟏𝟔:𝟏𝟖).

Jesus wanted to see if Peter was prepared to give up everything he had which was why he asked him: "𝑺𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒏, 𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏, 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆?" (𝒗.15) Jesus was probably pointing to his lucrative fishing business and the life he had with his friends and kin and Jesus wanted to know if Peter was willing to give up everything he had.

“𝑨 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒎, "𝑺𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒏, 𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏, 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆?" (𝒗.16) This was intended to draw from Peter his commitment to offer his life to serve Jesus. “𝑯𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆, "𝑺𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒏, 𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏, 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆?" (𝒗.17) If Jesus was thinking of the agape type of love when he asked Peter twice if he loved him, this time Jesus meant the phileo type of love because he wanted to know if Peter has the heart to love others with the kind of brotherly love that Jesus had for men.

When he said “yes” three times Jesus knew that his mission was safe in the hands of Peter who also was warned by Jesus of the persecution he would experience and the terrible death he would face (𝐯𝐯.𝟏𝟖-𝟏𝟗).

Peter realized what the Lord meant when he told him: “𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒍𝒅, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐." (𝒗.18) when he too went to the cross in Rome and asked to be nailed to it with his head downwards because he was not worthy to die as the Lord had died.

As disciples of Christ, we too must put ourselves in the position of Peter and we need to realize that our lives have a purpose and meaning and Our Lord Jesus Christ is calling each one of us not only to love God more than our possessions but to a life of total commitment to serve God by loving and caring for the marginalized, the poor especially those who have never known who God is.

Like Peter, there will come a time when we must deal with our true feelings and motives when we are in a face-to-face situation with Jesus. We must be ready when Jesus will ask: “𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆?” When he was asked, Peter unequivocally said: “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖.” (𝒗.17) and Jesus knew this was no longer a boast unlike the time when Peter once said: “𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚.” (𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕 26:33)

Jesus was so particular about love because this was what he brought to the world when he was sent down from heaven. Love was what moved him to embrace the cross to unite us with God through this supreme sacrifice. Love is the greatest privilege in the world, and we can only prove our love for Jesus by loving others.  

Like Peter, we can only show our love for God through Christ when we embrace the tasks that have been entrusted to us and deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. To love God is an awesome privilege but it also involves responsibility and sacrifice. We may have our own mindsets on how to go about our tasks to proclaim the Good News to others, but all our efforts must be directed towards unity with God and with one another.

And we should constantly review the purity of our motives by spending time in the presence of Jesus Christ because there is the danger we may already be doing the opposite such that in our zealousness to do things for God we may already be promoting disobedience to pastoral authority in the church or community under the guise of a good motive.  

Church organizations as well as communities, ministries and apostolates disintegrate, and members scatter because of the sinful pride that clouds their vision of the love of God. What we all must remember is this – the devil is not concerned about getting between us and the work or activity that we do, but the devil’s main concern is to get between us and the love of God.

At the end of the day, being a Christian is not about doing things for God but acknowledging that God has already done something out of love. How do I love thee? I believe this is a question we will need to ask ourselves. How do we love God? Better still, how much do we love God?  (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘔𝘢𝘺 4, 2025)