Today's Gospel

Love Is Not a Performance

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant, where we are exploring the genius of Jesus, the genius of His teachings in the Gospels, and looking for a word or phrase or an idea each day that jumps out at you to anchor your day in the Gospel. Today's Gospel reading comes from John 21:15-19.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." The second time, Jesus said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." Jesus said to him a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." And Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." This, he said, to show by what death he was to glorify God. And after this, he said to Peter, "Follow me."

What jumps out at you today? We've talked before any time I think that Jesus repeats a word or a phrase or an idea in a single reading. It warrants, I think, particular examination. And in today's reading, Jesus says to Peter, "Peter, do you love me?" And Peter has an interesting reply. He doesn't say, "Yes, I love you." He says, "You know that I love you." It was a beautiful thing, right? To believe that God knows that you love Him. And I think very often in this world, people are wanting us to prove our love to them or our respect for them or something else in all sorts of different ways. And Peter has this beautiful relationship with Jesus where he's able to say to Jesus, "You know I love you, Jesus. I don't feel like I need to prove that to you. I don't feel like I need to go out and do anything." It's a really interesting thing because we live in a culture of performative love. And one of the things I've noticed with my children, very important for us not to drag them into like performative love. If you do well in school, then we'll pay more attention to you or give you more love. But a lot of us were raised that way. We've talked about the idea of what is your love contract? What did you have to do to get love as a child? And with God, we don't have a performative relationship around love. He loves us. He loves us not because of something we've done or something we might do. He loves us just because we are, because we are His children. Have a great day. Remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.