Feed My Lambs, Feed My Sheep

Week of April 10, 2016

This wonderful dialogue between Peter and Jesus invites us to realize that our faith journey is just that–a journey.  This is the Peter who denied Jesus three times and yet said he would not.  This is the Peter who at times was captured by fear and unbelief.  Yet this is also a Peter who responds to the gentle voice of our Savior who rose from the dead.  Jesus leads Peter on an ever deepening journey to experience forgiveness and peace.  He longs for Peter to hear himself out loud make the proclamation that he loves the Lord.  He is very public in this affirmation in faith.  With every opportunity, Jesus invites Peter to go deeper.  This same Jesus invites us in the same way.  Our morning prayer every day is an opportunity to reaffirm our love for Jesus.  We have the opportunity to respond to His invitation and make this day a day of blessing.   Jesus invited Peter to go deeper, giving him another chance to make a profession of faith.  Every day is a profession of faith.  Every day we are invited to go deeper.  On this day we celebrate vocations to the priesthood and religious life.  We celebrate the response to the call of vocations.  Jesus does not just call once, but as it says in the famous anonymous poem, The Hound of Heaven, He seeks us out unceasingly, never letting go of His grip.  May His voice awaken in all of us the response that Peter gave, “Yes Lord, you know that I love You.”

Rev. John J. Ouper