“Simon, do you love me?”

How I love this Gospel story!  The prelude to this that I love is the account, not in John but in Mark 16, where the young man in the tomb (An angel? Jesus himself?) sends the women to “tell his disciples and Peter that he goes before them into Galilee where they will see him.”

How moved must Peter have been to get that message and to know he has not been rejected after his triple denial!  Not surprising, then, that at this early morning encounter in Galilee, Peter plunges into the water ahead of the others to reach Jesus before the boat!

This story tells us so much about Jesus, and Peter, and even those disciples prosaic enough to count the fish!  The warm humanity of Jesus, preparing a fire and their breakfast, his calling for a triple declaration of love from Peter – a fitting reconciliation -  the sharing of broken bread, suggesting Eucharist,  and his unspoken requirement of faith: ”None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, ‘Who are you?’  They knew quite well it was the Lord.”

Jesus’ dealings with Peter, right though his public life, would not prepare us for Peter’s being named the leader of the new church.  The rock?  Hardly!  Yet, there was never any doubt of Peter’s deep love for Jesus, and if there is one element in Jesus’ teaching that is utterly indisputable, it is the primacy of love, so we should not be surprised that Peter was the one.  We know, too, that this was not the end of Peter’s cowardice – that is another story – but we know, too, that he always came good.  The warning given him in today’s story must never have been far from his mind henceforth. 

Peter is a lovely character and one who can give us great comfort in today’s Church, shocked and besmirched by scandal as it continues to be.

If there is one saint who can appropriately take our prayers on high, surely it is Peter.

If there is one saint to whom we should commend our Pope, it is Peter. 

Let us do that with all our hearts!

Helen Ryan OP