Martin Madalai Muthu csc –
Readings: Acts 25: 13b-21; Jn 21: 15-19
Today, we remember St. Charles Lwanga & co who embraced martyrdom. In the gospel passage, Jesus reveals the responsibility, and the kind of death Simon Peter must go through to glorify God.
This gives us a clear message that in order to follow Christ, one must be prepared to accept the consequences that come with it. Those consequences could often be persecution or humiliation on earth which will be repaid as a greater reward in heaven.
As believers of Jesus and his word, we are already on a mission which he had begun to spread love, peace, justice, healing, and reconciliation. Though we have accepted his call to follow, sometimes we falter like Simon Peter, who denied Jesus in times of difficulty and persecution.
We need to remember the steadfast love of Christ which always looks for the repentant heart and gives more responsibilities to him/her. Though Simon Peter went away from the love of God for a while, today we see him giving assurance to love God always.
Even after hearing the result of accepting this new task, Simon accepted the responsibilities of shepherding Jesus’ sheep. And it is because of that, today you and I are experiencing the privilege of knowing Jesus. Today, we know that Jesus is not the end of his mission. Instead, we are invited to accept his call to “Follow me” and be prepared for sacrifices.
Let us ask ourselves-what sacrifice am I ready to make to follow Christ who has risen, and how can I show my love to my neighbours? As we prepare for Pentecost, let us ask the Spirit of God to make us understand the word of God and be prepared to face the consequences of living his words.