On these last two weekdays of Easter, our Gospel passage comes from the epilogue and the very last chapter of John’s Gospel. As I mentioned recently, Saint John’s Gospel has often been called, “the Gospel of Love.” It should be no surprise that the final story of the final chapter of his Gospel is a conversation about love.
For Peter, loving Jesus means feeding his sheep. Each of the Gospels show how Peter is given a unique role in the Church, to be chief of the shepherd apostles: leading, governing, feeding the flock of Christ, the Church. Jesus prophecies that when Peter grows old, he too will stretch out his hands and lead him where he does not want to go. The Good Shepherd “will lay down his life for the sheep”, like Jesus Peter’s role as the shepherd of Jesus’ sheep will lead him to lay down his life, culminating in his martyrdom, stretching out his hands as he is martyred by crucifixion in AD 65.
Jesus asks this question to each of us: do you love me? By his death, by laying down his life like the Good Shepherd, for the Good Shepherd, Peter proves his love. And we are called to the same.
The Church celebrates two saints, Marcellinus and another Peter: two Roman martyrs mentioned in the Roman Canon, the first Eucharistic Prayer. Marcellinus was a priest, and Peter was an exorcist. They were arrested for the faith during the persecution of Diocletion and imprisoned. While in prison, they preached the Gospel, leading many of their fellow prisoners to be baptized there in prison. When the prison guards caught on that the two saints were winning converts, Marcellinus and Peter were taken to a forest in the middle of the night in secret, forced to dig their own graves, and beheaded. However, one of the soldiers was so moved by their courage, that he converted to Christ, then told the Church where Marcellinus and Peter were buried, so they could be properly venerated.
“Do you love me?” Jesus asks. For Peter and the Popes that means leading, shepherding, governing, guiding the flock to be faithful to the Lord. For Marcellinus and Peter, it meant preaching the Gospel in prison when it would certainly result in their death. What does it mean for you, what does it mean for me?
Certainly it means being faithful to the duties and responsibilities of our respective vocations as priest, spouses and parents, religious, single. It certainly involves being courageous in sharing the Gospel with others and strengthening fellow Christians in the faith, works of charity in our community, fervor in prayer. And a love for Christ which imitates him in laying down our lives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That the Spirit of Pentecost may be with the Holy Father Pope Francis and all the successors of the Apostles, that they may lead the Church faithfully in the way of the Good Shepherd.
For the imprisoned, that the Gospel of Christ may spread among them, that they may know the closeness of God and the healing of the wounds of sin.
For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept close to the truth and heart of Jesus.
That our parish festival may be preserved from inclement weather and may be an instrument for the strengthening of our parish and the spread of Christ’s saving truth.
That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious of the diocese of Cleveland, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
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