There are many ways to see a person, from social to profoundly intimate relationships. We can also know a lot about a person, but that doesn’t mean we know them personally.
We know the difference between reading a biography about a person, meeting that person in some social gathering, and living and sharing everything deeply with that person for years. The latter is the relationship that Jesus seeks to have with each of us. How deeply did Peter know Jesus when he proclaimed Him the Christ, God’s Anointed One?
Would we not react like Peter did when we saw Jesus’ miracles? When Jesus spoke about God, his words penetrated right into his heart. Peter experienced this every day for three years.
We could say that much of the time during Jesus’ public ministry, Peter was on Mount Tabor, seeing the glorious Jesus at work. Jesus knew that Peter and his disciples did not know Him because they had not experienced the depth of his merciful love for them in their sinfulness. For St. Peter, this occurred between the denial of Jesus in the courtyard and Easter morning when Jesus forgave him.
Do you remember that question after Jesus rose from the dead? “Peter, do you love me?” The mercy we experience from the good heart of another person connects us with them on levels only love can understand.
We find out who the Lord is when we can stand before him and say, “I’m sorry.” And we know He comes back to us like He did Peter and says, “I love you. I will always love you.”
So much of our culture and society want to medicate, pretend, and run away from the mercy that will make us whole. It is freeing to stand before Jesus and say with heart and tears, “I never meant to hurt you so much.”
Gospel Challenge:
As he told Simon the Pharisee after he forgave Mary Magdalene in the Pharisees’ home, “It is the one who is forgiven much that loves much.” How much do I love Jesus? Dare I walk with Him down that road of mercy? Ask St Peter to intercede for you. He understands.
John 18:33-37, November 24, 2024 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112424.cfm Who do I follow? Pilate or Jesus? In today’s gospel, we encounter Pontius Pilate and Jesus.Both are rulers in
November 23, 2024 Luke 20:27-40https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112224.cfm I Believe in the Resurrection of the Dead – Going Deep. My Dad and I would fish in the
November 22, 2024, Luke 19:45-48 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112224.cfm A House of Prayer. A house of prayer is a sacred place for communing with the Lord. Every time
November 21, 2024, Luke 19:41-44 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/112323-weekday.cfm Tears over Jerusalem. Imagine the grief in the heart of Jesus as he approached Jerusalem. He wanted them to receive
Father Rick’s Two-Minute Homily for Friday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
September 27, 2024, Luke 9:18-22
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092724.cfm
How Much Do I Love Jesus?
There are many ways to see a person, from social to profoundly intimate relationships. We can also know a lot about a person, but that doesn’t mean we know them personally.
We know the difference between reading a biography about a person, meeting that person in some social gathering, and living and sharing everything deeply with that person for years. The latter is the relationship that Jesus seeks to have with each of us. How deeply did Peter know Jesus when he proclaimed Him the Christ, God’s Anointed One?
Would we not react like Peter did when we saw Jesus’ miracles? When Jesus spoke about God, his words penetrated right into his heart. Peter experienced this every day for three years.
We could say that much of the time during Jesus’ public ministry, Peter was on Mount Tabor, seeing the glorious Jesus at work. Jesus knew that Peter and his disciples did not know Him because they had not experienced the depth of his merciful love for them in their sinfulness. For St. Peter, this occurred between the denial of Jesus in the courtyard and Easter morning when Jesus forgave him.
Do you remember that question after Jesus rose from the dead? “Peter, do you love me?” The mercy we experience from the good heart of another person connects us with them on levels only love can understand.
We find out who the Lord is when we can stand before him and say, “I’m sorry.” And we know He comes back to us like He did Peter and says, “I love you. I will always love you.”
So much of our culture and society want to medicate, pretend, and run away from the mercy that will make us whole. It is freeing to stand before Jesus and say with heart and tears, “I never meant to hurt you so much.”
Gospel Challenge:
As he told Simon the Pharisee after he forgave Mary Magdalene in the Pharisees’ home, “It is the one who is forgiven much that loves much.” How much do I love Jesus? Dare I walk with Him down that road of mercy? Ask St Peter to intercede for you. He understands.
Love Your Neighbor!
Fr. Rick Pilger, I.C.
Pastor@bscchurch.com
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