Gospel
Jn 21:1-19
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“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” Jesus said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
Homily
I have recently been told of a court case brought by the children of a man who did intestate. The executor of the estate, the man’s widow, the stepmother of his children has refused to distribute any of the shares to the children while she continues to draw down on the estate’s finances claiming fees for the administration of the estate. She was enriching herself while not giving the children, rightful heirs anything.
As I read the Gospel passage for this weekend that story came back to mind. In the Gospel story Jesus appears once again to the disciples and has a meal with them. After the meal he questions Peter who had denied him three times during his passion. Peter’s love had not been strong enough to resist the possibility of martyrdom. In spite of this, Jesus wants to make Peter the undisputed leader of the group which was racked by divisions and personal ambitions. Even at the last Supper the disciples were still arguing about who was the greatest. Before conferring on Peter the leadership however Jesus elicited from Peter a threefold confession of love thereby nullifying Peter’s threefold denial. After that happens Peter is confirmed as undisputed leader, but a leader whose principal task would be to ensure the wellbeing of the members of the group. First of all Peter is told to “Feed the lambs” It is noteworthy that Peter is first told to feed the lambs, the most vulnerable in the community and then he is told “to tend and to feed the sheep.” According to Jesus leadership must be seen as servanthood in which the other, not oneself must be the focus. This can only be done as the Master himself did it and so Jesus enjoins on Peter. “Follow me”
Any Gospel story, we must remember, lives on in the lives of true disciples. We witness to the truth of the Gospel by making this story come to life in our own lives. All of us have some leadership role, be it as parents of families, in schools, businesses, communities or in politics and as disciples we can only measure our effectiveness as leaders by our track record in looking after those in our care especially the most vulnerable. In the world leadership is very often a vehicle for self aggrandizement and for the enrichment of family and friends, but as disciples we are in the world while having a very different value system, and so for true disciples leadership becomes an opportunity to ensure the wellbeing of the people especially the most vulnerable. The Jesus model of leadership to which we must all aspire is that in which we are willing to give our very lives for those in our care. We saw this model lived in the life of Mons. Romero of El Salvador, in the life of Mahatma Gandhi in India, in the lives of so many Mexican martyrs many of them lay persons. We see this model lived today in the lives of so many selfless parents, teachers and professionals. May you and I become the leaders which our world needs so badly.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God in a world which has become so very individualistic we need leader who can lead us on another path. Raise up true leaders for all your people, leader after the heart and mind of Jesus your Son, leaders concerned for the most vulnerable in society, leaders concerned about the true well-being of your people. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, our Mother and your Son Jesus, the model of true leadership. Amen
