Peter, do you love me?

In today's Gospel we hear Jesus ask Peter three times, "Simon, do you love me?" Three times the Peter says, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you!" And Jesus responds, "Feed my sheep." There are two things that we can learn from this. First is the mercy of the Lord - yes the mercy of the Lord. We remember that Peter denied Jesus three times, and now Jesus gives better three opportunities to redeem those denials. Each time that we have denied Jesus with our sins, He calls us through the sacrament of confession, "Bill Brunner, do you love me?" And by confessing our sins, we say, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you!" Since we will not let our sins keep us from the love of Jesus for us - but we need to respond to that invitation to "un-do" that sin.

This Sunday is also the Sunday of the "Primacy of Peter." Since the Church looks at this Gospel as the time when Jesus gives Peter the first place among the apostles. After all, Peter, and only Peter, is the only one that Jesus told to "feed my sheep." This primacy continues to this day through the ministry of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.

In the Holy Land, on the shore of the sea of Galilee, there is a little church called the "Primacy of Peter Church." Re-read the gospel again, and look at these pictures. This church was built on the spot that tradition holds that today's Gospel took place. In the upper picture you can see the inside of the church. In the center is a large rock. This is the rock on which Jesus served his disciples the breakfast of fish. It is just off this shore that Jesus directed them to the miracle of the large catch of fish. It is hear that Jesus, in his mercy, invited Peter to re-affirm his love of Jesus, and those reverse the denials. It is also here that we can enter in prayer, and respond to Jesus when he invites us to do the same.

The lower picture is one of me standing on the sea-shore just outside the church.