The WORD in other words (2006) by Father Vic Rayco SVD – Saint Jude Catholic School
Friday 7th Week of Easter
It is the risen Christ asking Peter. This is Jesus who suffered a humiliating death, abandoned by His friends — foremost among them Peter, the “Rock” who had professed undying loyalty but denied Him three times. Their meeting after the resurrection must have been painful for both. Yet it was also a meeting where love demanded more.
The first demand of love is that it moves beyond words into deeds. Peter had professed loyalty, but Jesus now calls him to prove it: “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). Love is not satisfied with mere declarations; it requires service. Just as weddings continue in the daily acts of washing dishes, caring for children, and listening to a spouse, so too discipleship continues in concrete acts of care for others. Love wants more than words. Love demands action.
The second demand of love is that it moves beyond pain into forgiveness. Peter’s denial could have crushed his relationship with Jesus. Yet Jesus does not ask, “Why did you betray me?” but instead, “Do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15). Love chooses to see beyond failure, holding on to what is true and good. Peter, humbled, appeals to Jesus’ knowledge of his heart: “Lord, you know that I love you.” Without forgiveness, love cannot survive. Without love, forgiveness is impossible. Love wants more than pain; it wants reconciliation.
Love wants more. It wants more than profession. It wants more than pain. Jesus’ encounter with Peter shows us that true love demands action and forgiveness. It is the risen Christ who restores, commissions, and entrusts us with His mission. Like Peter, we too are called to respond: “Lord, You know that I love You.”
“Lord Jesus, help me to love You not only in words but in deeds, and to forgive as You forgive, so that my love may be true.”
