From the Gospel according to John 21:15-19
It may seem surprising that Jesus insists on asking Peter three times in succession whether he loves Him. But we remember that this same Peter denied Him three times on the night of the Passion. Christ gives him the opportunity to reaffirm his love, once for each time he denied Him. The Lord is always lovingly ready to draw near to us, so that we may ask for forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and become like little lambs in the arms of our Good Shepherd. Let us not wish to be anything else. There is nothing better than allowing ourselves to be led by Him, for He is Love.
Peter: The children still haven’t tidied their room… I honestly don’t know what else to say to them. They completely ignore me. I’m sure if you go in now they’ll obey you straight away. They always wait for your approval before listening to me, and when you’re not here there’s no way they’ll do anything I ask. I’m really getting tired of it. It’s always the same.
Margaret: Always the same, always the same… you’re the one who’s always saying the same thing. I’m the one who’s tired of having the very same conversation over and over again…
Peter: The same thing, the same conversation… Forgive me, Margaret. I’ve let myself be carried away by old feelings that I thought I had overcome. I didn’t sleep well last night, and I’ve fallen into the same trap again.
Margaret: No, you forgive me, Peter. I rose to the bait without a second thought… The truth is, I didn’t sleep well either. That programme we watched left me quite unsettled, and it took me ages to fall asleep.
Peter: It was the same for me. Thank God we’re beginning to recognise these outbursts of passion and stop them before they grow. I remember that before our conversion we would start an argument that could leave us not speaking to each other for days.
Margaret: Absolutely… I shudder just remembering it. If you agree, perhaps we could move our time of marital prayer to before we go to bed. That way we could spend longer in prayer and go to sleep with the peace that comes from being with the Lord.
Peter: I think that’s a wonderful idea. Less television and more prayer — what a brilliant plan. Thank you, my dear wife, for always drawing me back onto the right path.
Mother,
We want to be those little lambs who walk beside Jesus. Sometimes He leads us by the hand and we walk with Him; at other times He has to carry us in His arms. Never allow us to drift away from Him. Blessed and praised for ever be Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar!