Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
May 21, 2021
After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them,
he said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that he 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.”
Engrossed in my college and career adventures, I neglected to visit my paralyzed dad in the nursing home as often as I could have. I always put it off thinking there would be a next time, a more convenient time. After a decade of scarce visits, my dad’s failing health and imminent death this past February forced me to get my priorities straight. I finally pushed aside the noise of life and visited him every day of his hospitalization.
One day, I arrived to an empty hospital bed. I later found out that the hospital returned my dad to the nursing home after a miraculous recovery. As overjoyed as I was, I thought to myself in bewilderment, “Why did this happen? What did I do to deserve this?”
I knew I didn’t deserve this. In the past decade, I failed as a daughter. On top of that, amidst a difficult 2020, I failed to be the best friend, leader, and coworker I could be. When my dad’s death seemed imminent, I felt my life was over as well. After all my failings, why was I given this second chance at life?
Today’s reading reminds us that everything in the world is redeemable because of Christ’s resurrection. Even after Peter’s threefold denial of Jesus during the Passion, Peter transfigures the past with a threefold affirmation of love. In response, despite Peter’s past failings, Jesus calls Peter to continue his ministry through humble service to others: “Feed my lambs.” “Tend my sheep.”
Actions speak louder than words. I now make time every day to visit my dad in the nursing home and bring him delicious food. Every day, God is asking us, “Do you love me?” through the challenges and interactions we encounter in life. What will we do to answer?
Prayer
Like Peter, dear Jesus, you are calling us to let go of our protestations of loyalty, of our “I can do it” confidence. May it become inescapably clear to us that we can’t really do anything without your help, that we must serve others with the full, painful awareness of our own incapacity. The strength we will need comes only from you. Above all, help us to realize that all those we shepherd, care for, mentor, and guide are your flock, not ours.
Saint of the Day
Constantine was the Roman emperor famous for ending the persecution of Christians. He is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Churches, but the Roman Catholic Church honors him as an important figure in the history of the faith with the title, Constantine the Great.
Constantine ascended to power in 312 after a famous battle. Before the battle, he had a vision while marching with his army: the cross was rising from the brilliance of the sun, carrying a message that read, “With this sign, you will conquer.” That night, he had a dream in which Christ appeared to him with the same sign of the cross, and told him to make this sign into a standard for his army to follow.The sign is interpreted as two Greek letters: chi (X) and rho (P), the first two letters of the Greek spelling of Christos, transposed on top of one another. His army prevailed.
As ruler, Constantine made Christianity a free religion with the famous Edict of Milan in 312. The decree restored seized property to Christians and ceased persecutions. When the decree was opposed, he enforced it by defeating his opponents in a civil war.
Constantine was a giant during his time, overshadowing even the pope’s role in the Church. He convened the council of Nicea, governed the distribution of land for the Church, established a new capital in the Christian city of Constantinople, and began policies that Christianized the empire.
Constantine and his mother, St. Helen, traveled to Jerusalem and established many of the sites of Christian pilgrimage that Christians still visit today. Constantine is credited with finding the site of Golgotha, initiating the first building of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Helen is credited with finding the cross of Christ. The discovery of Christ's cross started an endless stream of pilgrims to Jerusalem, the distribution of pieces of the true cross to churches throughout the empire, and even our contemporary Good Friday liturgy, which is partially based on the ancient liturgies in Jerusalem celebrating Christ's cross, Christ's humble victory over death.
Constantine the Great, you who ended the persecution of Christians and beheld a saving vision of the cross—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Constantine the Great is in the public domain. Last accessed March 11, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
