3rd Sunday of Easter, C

Closer to Christ

John 21:1-19

The reason why Jesus instituted the Eucharist is so that we can remember him in word and action, "Do this in memory of me."

Remembering was stressed by Peter when he recounted how the Pharisees killed Jesus.

In the gospel, they didn't dare ask who it was because they were sure it was Jesus.

Could we recall Jesus in the Eucharist and in life?  How could we know it's him?

I also want to stress another important reality by which we can know Jesus, "Love one another."

"Do you love me more than these?"

Do you love me... calls us to think not only of equivalence of loving God with others, but rather, to consider him personally and exclusively, "Do you really love me?"  Who is Jesus to us?  By this confession we will know how authentic we are as Christian witnesses.

More than these ... calls us to prioritize Jesus above all others.  More than anything else in this world, more than all the things we receive, more than all the people we love.  How much do we love him?  If he is not our priority, then we already sealed our ability to give witness to him.

Feed my sheep ... is a sign of Jesus' love that we should emulate.  The love is one with the beloved. If we truly love him, we will also love whom he loves.  Whom do we really love?  our own exclusive families? or those beyond our families to God's family?