FAUSTI - "Do you love me?" These are the words of Jesus, dead and risen, to Peter. Everyone hears them addressed to himself, as an aim or, better, as the beginning of the whole Gospel. Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him " more " than others in order to reduce his claim to be better than the others. But not only: love has as its spring the "more". Love is always an " more " - if it does not grow, it decreases - in humility and dedication. It is our participation to the " magis , more " of the majesty of God Love, in the image of Which we are created. In fact, our heart is motivated by the insatiable desire for an endless one more. What ends is finished, but not perfect. This "more", the divine mark of man, is his tormented destiny, of happiness or damnation: it marks the progress of his history when invested in love, and the regression when invested in selfishness. Peter's affirmative response is not based on his assurance of giving his life for Jesus. It is based on what the Lord knows: He had predicted his defection, but also that he would follow Him later. For the third time, the confidence was confirmed to him. This last response of Jesus sums the other two: He says "feed" as the first time and "my sheep" as the second. Peter, with and as the beautiful Shepherd, feeds His sheep in love, so that there may be only one free flock, one Shepherd. The word " feed" is in connection with the pasture, the food to be procured to the flock. The true food is the Flesh of the One who gave His Life for His brethren. Word and Bread are the food to be guaranteed: that Word that has become Bread and that Bread that the Word itself gives. Peter must lead the flock to that pasture where the Lord is Shepherd and Pasture. Jesus always speaks of "my" lambs and "my" sheep. Lambs and sheep are always and only of the Son and the Father, not of Peter. The flock is of God Himself, who communicates to all and to each one the Glory. Peter's service is to set a example and preserve unity in diversity. In fact, being "one" in love is the witness of Glory to the world. He has the initiative of the mission and he keeps the union, so that the being "one" of the saved is not lacerated. In the heard episode there is like the successive repeating of that wave that Jesus set in motion: now it is reflected in the disciples and, through them, it extends to infinity, enlivening the whole world with His Spirit .Now the disciples are at work. They are no longer in the evening and indoors in Jerusalem, but in the morning and outdoors on the Lake of Tiberias, the place of daily life, of them and of Jesus. Time and place are significant: the dawn is the limit between night and day, the coast is the limit between sea and land. Sunrise and the coast are the time and the typical place of man, placed between two opposite realities, called to cross the threshold from darkness to light, from death to life. The disciples have come out of where the Lord has washed their feet and they now face the world with Him and like Him. After the gift of Jesus Who loved them to the point of giving Himself and He returned, showing Himself as winner of death and Prince of life, the day of the Lord begins: it is every day, to be lived now in the love of the Father and of our brothers and sisters. For this reason these seven go to "fish men for life". As Jesus has done, they too take the brothers out of the water where they drown, to communicate to them the spring of living water. As was promised, the Glory that the Father gave to the Son, the Son gave to the disciples, and now, even for Peter, leaving the world will no longer be a death, but a glorification of God, manifesting His Love in Himself.
Alleluia R. Alleluia, alleluia. Christ is risen, creator of all; he has shown pity on all people. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel JN 21:1-19 At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We also will come with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him, "No." So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something." So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught." So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast." And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." He then said to Simon Peter a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." Jesus said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER Do not graze with your head up, like the great ruler, no: graze with humility, with love, as Jesus did. This is the mission that Jesus gives Peter. Yes, with sins, with mistakes. So much so that, just after this dialogue, Peter makes a slip, a mistake, is tempted by curiosity and says to the Lord: 'But this other disciple where will he go, what will he do? But with love, in the midst of his mistakes, his sins... with love: 'Because these sheep are not your sheep, they are my sheep', says the Lord. Love. If you are my friend, you must be their friend. (St. Martha June 2, 2017)
Reading 1 ACTS 5:27-32, 40B-41 When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, "We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles said in reply, "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."
The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. Responsorial Psalm PS 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13 R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. or: R. Alleluia. I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit. R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. or: R. Alleluia. Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will. At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing. R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. or: R. Alleluia. Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me; O LORD, be my helper. You changed my mourning into dancing; O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks. R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. or: R. Alleluia. Reading 2 REV 5:11-14 I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing." Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: "To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever." The four living creatures answered, "Amen, " and the elders fell down and worshiped.
FAUSTI -
RispondiElimina"Do you love me?" These are the words of Jesus, dead and risen, to Peter.
Everyone hears them addressed to himself, as an aim or, better, as the beginning of the whole Gospel.
Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him " more " than others in order to reduce his claim to be better than the others.
But not only: love has as its spring the "more".
Love is always an " more " - if it does not grow, it decreases - in humility and dedication.
It is our participation to the " magis , more " of the majesty of God Love, in the image of Which we are created.
In fact, our heart is motivated by the insatiable desire for an endless one more.
What ends is finished, but not perfect.
This "more", the divine mark of man, is his tormented destiny, of happiness or damnation: it marks the progress of his history when invested in love, and the regression when invested in selfishness.
Peter's affirmative response is not based on his assurance of giving his life for Jesus.
It is based on what the Lord knows: He had predicted his defection, but also that he would follow Him later.
For the third time, the confidence was confirmed to him.
This last response of Jesus sums the other two: He says "feed" as the first time and "my sheep" as the second. Peter, with and as the beautiful Shepherd, feeds His sheep in love, so that there may be only one free flock, one Shepherd. The word " feed" is in connection with the pasture, the food to be procured to the flock.
The true food is the Flesh of the One who gave His Life for His brethren.
Word and Bread are the food to be guaranteed: that Word that has become Bread and that Bread that the Word itself gives.
Peter must lead the flock to that pasture where the Lord is Shepherd and Pasture.
Jesus always speaks of "my" lambs and "my" sheep.
Lambs and sheep are always and only of the Son and the Father, not of Peter. The flock is of God Himself, who communicates to all and to each one the Glory. Peter's service is to set a example and preserve unity in diversity. In fact, being "one" in love is the witness of Glory to the world.
He has the initiative of the mission and he keeps the union, so that the being "one" of the saved is not lacerated.
In the heard episode there is like the successive repeating of that wave that Jesus set in motion: now it is reflected in the disciples and, through them, it extends to infinity, enlivening the whole world with His Spirit .Now the disciples are at work. They are no longer in the evening and indoors in Jerusalem, but in the morning and outdoors on the Lake of Tiberias, the place of daily life, of them and of Jesus.
Time and place are significant: the dawn is the limit between night and day, the coast is the limit between sea and land.
Sunrise and the coast are the time and the typical place of man, placed between two opposite realities, called to cross the threshold from darkness to light, from death to life.
The disciples have come out of where the Lord has washed their feet and they now face the world with Him and like Him.
After the gift of Jesus Who loved them to the point of giving Himself and He returned, showing Himself as winner of death and Prince of life, the day of the Lord begins: it is every day, to be lived now in the love of the Father and of our brothers and sisters.
For this reason these seven go to "fish men for life".
As Jesus has done, they too take the brothers out of the water where they drown, to communicate to them the spring of living water.
As was promised, the Glory that the Father gave to the Son, the Son gave to the disciples, and now, even for Peter, leaving the world will no longer be a death, but a glorification of God, manifesting His Love in Himself.
Alleluia
RispondiEliminaR. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ is risen, creator of all;
he has shown pity on all people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel JN 21:1-19
At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing."
They said to him, "We also will come with you."
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?"
They answered him, "No."
So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something."
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord."
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you just caught."
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast."
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?"
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep."
Jesus said to him the third time,
"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time,
"Do you love me?" and he said to him,
"Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."
Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go."
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
RispondiEliminaDo not graze with your head up, like the great ruler, no: graze with humility, with love, as Jesus did. This is the mission that Jesus gives Peter. Yes, with sins, with mistakes. So much so that, just after this dialogue, Peter makes a slip, a mistake, is tempted by curiosity and says to the Lord: 'But this other disciple where will he go, what will he do? But with love, in the midst of his mistakes, his sins... with love: 'Because these sheep are not your sheep, they are my sheep', says the Lord. Love. If you are my friend, you must be their friend. (St. Martha June 2, 2017)
Reading 1 ACTS 5:27-32, 40B-41
When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
"We gave you strict orders, did we not,
to stop teaching in that name?
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man's blood upon us."
But Peter and the apostles said in reply,
"We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."
The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles
to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.
So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin,
rejoicing that they had been found worthy
to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
Responsorial Psalm PS 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13
R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading 2 REV 5:11-14
I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels
who surrounded the throne
and the living creatures and the elders.
They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice:
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and blessing."
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth
and under the earth and in the sea,
everything in the universe, cry out:
"To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor, glory and might,
forever and ever."
The four living creatures answered, "Amen, "
and the elders fell down and worshiped.