SAINT CHARLES LWANGA AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS (MEMORIAL)

Do you love me?

Why did Jesus ask Peter this question three times? Probably because on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter denied knowing him three times. So each time Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, he was giving Peter a chance to renounce his earlier denials and affirm his devotion to his Lord once again.

Peter seemed hurt by the re-peated questions, but it was never Jesus’ intention to shame or berate him. He did it to strengthen Peter’s faith in him so that the disciple could undertake the mission that God had given him—to pastor his flock, the Church.

We might feel like Peter in those times when it seems that the Lord is repeatedly asking us the same “question.” For example, as we battle a chronic, serious health issue, he might be asking us, “Do you trust me?” If we are worried and anxious about an elderly parent or our finances, he might be asking, “Will you surrender this to me?” Or if we are experiencing the same temptation again and again, he might be saying, “Do you believe that my grace is enough?” Like his exchange with Peter, Jesus doesn’t do this to shame or test us. Instead, he is encouraging us to put our faith in him, no matter what our challenges.

When you face such questions from the Lord, how do you respond? Peter was hurt and probably exasperated by Jesus’ questioning. You might be tempted to feel the same way. But like Peter, the best thing you can do is to just keep saying yes to Jesus: “Yes, I love you. Yes, I trust in you. Yes, I surrender to you.” Believe that through your circumstances, God is at work in you, strengthening your resolve to keep pressing on.

If the Lord is inviting you to respond with faith, it’s because he loves you and sees the next step forward in your life with him. Remember, Jesus chose Peter to be the head of the Church; his questioning didn’t mean that Peter wasn’t qualified to lead or that he lacked faith. Just so, God knows that you have faith in him, and he is pleased with you. Yet he is always ready to deepen the faith you already have.

“Make me ready to receive what you have for me, Lord!”

Acts 25:13-21
Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20
John 21:15-19