One of my favourite parts of John’s Gospel is the reconciliation of Peter to Jesus at the shore. I adore the image of Peter being brought into the intimacy of the never ending grace of the Lord, even though Peter denied Jesus.
As Peter’s heart broke open in the reality of his denial, Jesus draws him back into the intimacy of His love with a simple question, “do you love me?”
This is a love story because love comes in different shapes, a bond is formed, the heart is laid bare, when love is present the heart is opened up to be seen.
It is through wounds that the heart is seen more clearly, it is through Christ’s wounds where God’s love shines through.
It is possible that in the wounds of the pastoral announcement, this is where the goodness and love of the Lord is seen, through the apologies from our Bishops, through the response shown by other brothers and sisters in Christ.
Love is uncontainable, undefinable, and flows like the blood that Jesus shed for us.
Jesus pushes the human boundaries of love, in response to being called out to see his mother and his brothers, he declares that those in front of him were his mother and brothers. At the cross Jesus gave his Mother into the care of the disciple that he loved.
Jesus pushes the human boundaries of love to the point of opening up himself for his sacred heart to be glimpsed.
And when we can’t see love and we doubt love, Jesus invites us to touch the wounds of love, to see his hands, to place our hands in his side, and proclaim my Lord and my God.
We are desperate to contain love.
Yet different shapes of love circle around us.
But we do not own love.
Love is a gift, love equips us to flourish.
Jesus says to Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
If we are not able to articulate love, we cannot feed the Lord’s flock.
After Peter declares his love for Jesus, Jesus says “follow me”
We can’t follow Jesus if we can’t lay our hearts open to the wounds of love.
Lord you know that I love you – follow me.
Sitting at the well 