Today is May 9th, 2008
The Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
As we near the end of the Season of Easter, so too do we at Mass begin to end both the Acts of the Apostles and the gospel of John, two books we read each Easter Season. There is a great parallel between the readings at Mass today. In the first reading, taken from Acts chapter 25, we hear of Paul in Caesarea once again standing before the authorities, under suspicion and faced with punishment. St. Paul, who left a comforable and exalted position as a honored Pharisee before becoming an apostle of the Lord, was no stranger to persecution, torture, enmity and hatred. These were all constant companions on his missionary trips.
Turning to the gospel, from John chapter 21 we hear the familiar story of Jesus questioning Peter three times, 'Do you love me?' Peter, acknowledging his love for Jesus the same three times that he had previously denied him, is then given care over Jesus' sheep as our first pope. Then Jesus follows up with this enigmatic statement to Peter:
'Amen, amen I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and who where you wanted; bnut when you grow old, youi will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.'
The gospel explains that this was a reminder to Peter of the kind of death he would have to undergo as a disciple of Christ, the same death St. Paul would accept.
In the last line of today's gospel, Jesus says to Peter, 'Follow me.' This after he essentially told him that doing so would mean a certain death. Peter, of course, did follow Christ and did die a horrific death. Are we not being called in the same way today, to follow Christ? And must we not also accept that in doing so, we may encounter our own cross? And are we willing to undergo such pain out of love for Christ?
Dave Palmer
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