FRIDAY, SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTERTIDE
Acts 25: 13-21 Ps 103: 1-2, 11-12, 19-20 Jn 21: 15-19
FAITHFUL LOVE IN THE FACE OF TRIAL
The experience of Paul in the first reading, reminds us that faithfulness often leads to misunderstanding. His message is perceived as a dispute about religious ideas, yet in reality, it concerns the living truth of Christ. This tension continues even today. The Christian message is frequently reduced to a set of moral teachings or cultural traditions, while its core is the living presence of Christ which is often overlooked. Paul challenges us to remain centered on what truly matters: the risen Lord who transforms life. This same foundation is laid in the Gospel from the Gospel of John, where the risen Jesus asks Simon Peter a deeply personal question, Do you love me? The question is repeated three times, not to test Peter’s memory, but to heal his past and to strengthen his future. Each affirmation of love is immediately linked to responsibility, “Feed my sheep.” Love, therefore, is not reduced to sentiment rather it becomes mission.
Every Christian, in his or her own context, is invited to live this same fidelity. There are moments when faith is tested, need not be in dramatic trials like Paul’s, but in daily situations. When truth must be spoken, when values must be upheld, or when silence would be easier than witness. In such moments, the question of Jesus echoes once more; “Do you love me?” The answer to this question is not given merely in words, but in the choices we make. To love Christ is to remain faithful even when it is uncomfortable. It is to serve others with generosity, as Peter was called to do. It is to stand firm in truth, as Paul did before rulers. Such love is not without cost, but it is precisely in this cost that its authenticity is revealed. In the end, the question remains personal and direct: Do we truly love Christ? If we do, then like Peter and Paul, we are called to live that love courageously, through service, through witness, and through unwavering faith, even in the face of trial.
Response: The Lord has fixed his throne in heaven.
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