John 21:15

When you accept another person with no strings attached, great things happen, new worlds come into being. There is no better example of this than the Lord’s love for Peter in today’s gospel. Peter was a person who always rushed in where angels feared to tread. The gospel of St. John, chapter 21, tells of Peter’s rehabilitation after his fall from grace. The Lord reached out to Him in love and Peter reciprocated with love.

This chapter finds Peter doing what he did when Jesus first chose him; namely, fishing. He has fished all night, he comes up empty-handed but once the risen Lord arrives on the scene, Peter abandons his nets, dives into the sea, and swims ashore. There Christ welcomes him, feeds him and the other disciples. In spite of his human weakness, the Lord accepts Peter, no strings attached. It is through this unconditional act of love that Peter, who denied the Lord, is rehabilitated. And, so can we. So could Judas have been reconciled with the Lord if he did not succumb to despair. So can the church.

Peter was not afraid to take risks: risks that got him into trouble and out of trouble again and again, and eventually into sainthood. It was Peter who hopped out of the storm-tossed boat and tried to balance himself in the turbulent waters; it was Peter who stepped into the controversy over who Jesus was, boldly declaring Him to be the Son of God; and it was the sword-brandishing Peter who cut off the ear of Jesus’ captor.

But Peter was no water-walker without Jesus’ rescuing hand; he was no theologian either like St Paul. After declaring Jesus the Messiah, he was called a Satan by Jesus for not understanding his mission. Peter was no hero either. Within minutes of raising the sword in defense of Jesus, he denied him three times because he feared a girl’s taunts. Yet, it was this Peter who in time remained rock-solid in the faith and who strengthened the faith of others because, in spite of his human weaknesses, he was a man of faith, always in search of greater faith. His example is an inspiration for all of us who continue to fall short because of human weakness. As the bible says: “the just man falls seven times a day.”

St. Peter is an example of what can happen to all of us when we are willing to love the Lord in spite of our human weakness. Love conquers everything. Burdens are lifted; sins are forgiven; shame is banished, and new life dawns anew.

Fr. Hugh Duffy