Friday of the Seventh Week of
Easter
(Acts
25:13b-21; John 21:15-19)
Many
evangelical Protestants openly profess their love of Jesus. But surely love of the Lord is as much a
characteristic of true Catholics. Mother
St. Teresa of Kolkata used to describe herself by saying, “By blood, I am Albanian. By
citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I
belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.”
Some will scoff at the idea that one
can love another who has never been physically present. They will ask, “How can we say that you love
someone who died two thousand years ago?” And they will dismiss as fanatical one who
claims to love another who has millions of professed lovers. But these objections do not faze believers. They know that Jesus is alive and dwells within
them spiritually.
We too can have a personal
relationship with Jesus like Peter in today’s gospel. By meditating on the words he left us and by caring
for the poor, we sense his closeness. Because
he is God, the author of all life, he will assist us who hold him as our
beloved.
