In today’s
readings we see established the relationship between Christ and the papacy. The
apostles, the fishers of men are unsuccessful in their efforts. But by
listening to God they experience a miraculous catch. Peter goes to the Lord and
stands beside Him, as Hans Urs von Balthasar would say, “on the bedrock of
eternity.” The rest of the apostles bring their harvest to Peter and the Lord
and it is Peter who hauls in the entire catch.
The Lord then
establishes Peter’s devotion to lead His Church by allowing Peter to affirm his
love for Christ three times, and in doing so he repents of his three denials of
Jesus.
Love for God is
thus unconditionally linked to the papacy. And as the first pope Peter will
follow the example of Jesus and go to his own death by crucifixion, giving up
even his life for the Church, rejoicing that he had been found worthy to suffer
dishonor for the sake of the Name.
The cross of
suffering is bound up with the office that leads the Church. The more seriously
a pope takes his office, the greater will be his suffering.
Within 24 hours
of his election, Holy Father Francis was attacked with distorted facts, bad
reporting, and outright lies.
Let us pray for
our pope, Francis, that the Holy Spirit strengthen him to endure the attacks of
the enemy, and may he be shown to be a worthy shepherd to the people God has
entrusted to him, Lord hear our prayer.
Pax Vobiscum
3rd Subday of Easter
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