Pope Benedict XVI, in his 2010 Lenten
message drew prominent attention to the theme of
justice. He notes, justice is not simply providing each person that which is
demanded by law, or merely the provision of material assistance, as crucial as
this is, but also providing for the spiritual needs of men, women, and
children. The Holy Father noted the root of injustice cannot be reduced simply
to external factors, much like Paul’s situation in the first reading, where the
religious leaders are using worldly justice to solve matters of the spirit, but
justice is found in the human heart, which must be opened and liberated to love
God and our neighbor. Justice, which responds to material and spiritual hunger,
then, is always linked to and motivated
by love.
We see this connection between love
and justice in today’s Gospel story, showing Christ’s pastoral love toward
Peter, who undoubtedly suffers inwardly every time he remembers his denials of
Good Friday. Peter’s three-fold affirmation of
love for Jesus certainly is seen as a
response to these denials. But Jesus is saying something to us, too.[1]
Jesus is emphasizing the primacy of
love: love for Jesus, of course, but also love of neighbor. Who is my neighbor? This love, Jesus tells us, is connected to action. As I
walked last night, contemplating the mantra, “Feed my lambs,
tend my sheep, feed my sheep,” the Holy Spirit grabbed my heart sharing expectations for
his disciples, us.
“Feed my lambs.” What are lambs, but young sheep. Parents who are the first
teachers of the faith are to pass on the Word of God, prayers, and catechesis,
but more powerfully, they are the first models of self-giving love. Children
learn how to behave and respond in community by watching, absorbing, and
mimicking the adults around them. Think about this. How do we respond to
sensitive topics of our time: abortion, death penalty, immigration, political
rivals, I-4 traffic, conflict within the family or our neighbor?
“Tend my sheep.” Back to the question of “who is my
neighbor?” All
people are God’s sheep. “I have other sheep that do not
belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and
there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (Jn 10:16) All are sinners in some way, so what
is the just and loving response we are called to exercise? Mercy is the voice of Jesus. The Shepherd who left the
99 for the 1 lost sheep.
“Feed my sheep.” We are to tend, care for, and provide spiritual food for all God’s
people, from the youngest lambs to the full-grown sheep, in continual action to
nourish and care for their souls, bringing them into the fullness of spiritual
maturity. So many have fallen away from the fold, seeking the truth elsewhere. So
many are among our fold, sitting on the fringe, in the disguise of all is well,
and too often we miss recognizing their pain, suffering, their presence yet
disconnectedness. They are growing more and more distant because they’re not
being fed, because they feel like they don’t fit in the fold. This is the re-evangelization
opportunity that St. Pope John Paul II called us to recognize.
Do you love Jesus? Then then “follow me” recognizing and accepting the cost to “feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep.”
[1] Catholic Star Herald. “Feed My Lambs, Tend My
Sheep” by Bishop of Camden, Most Rev. Joseph A. Galante, D.D., J.C.D., February
18, 2010.
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