1 Peter: to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it —not for sordid gain but eagerly.
Yesterday, the priest's homily was interesting. The Gospel reading was from John and described when Jesus appeared to the disciples a third time and Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him?
The priest said that Jesus was before a charcoal fire and the only other time we heard about a charcoal fire was when Peter betrayed Jesus three times in the courtyard before Jesus was crucified. The priest went on to say that the original translation was Greek and that in Greek, there are seven words for love and two of them were used in this story.
Philia – Affectionate, Friendly Love. ...
Agape – Selfless, Universal Love. ...
Jesus used the word agape or self-sacrificing love when he asked Peter if he loved him. Peter responded with philia love or friendly love. Jesus told him to feed his lambs. Jesus asked Peter a second time if he loved (agape) him, and Peter responded that of course, he loved (philia) him. Jesus told him to tend his sheep.
The next time Jesus asked, he lowered the bar and asked if Peter loved (philia) him. Peter was distressed and responded that Jesus knew everything and knew that Peter loved (philia) him. Jesus told him to feed his sheep.
It's also interesting that Jesus said to feed His lambs, tend His sheep, and then feed His sheep. It almost indicates that we are like lambs in the beginning and we grow into sheep as our love of Jesus grows.
Peter goes on to eagerly tend the flock.
Jesus meets us where we are. Whether we have a philia or agape love, Jesus will come down to our level in order to lift us.
May 2
Matthew: Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
Mark: And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him.
Luke: he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
John: Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes.
Acts: with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Romans: through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
1 Corinthians: And you are arrogant! Should you not rather have mourned, so that he who has done this would have been removed from among you?
2 Corinthians: For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling—
Galatians: Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
Ephesians: and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
1 Thessalonians: For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
1 Timothy: to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters—with absolute purity.
Hebrews: He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness;
James: Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten.
1 Peter: to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it —not for sordid gain but eagerly.
1 John: By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
Revelation: and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
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