Word to the Wise
Friday, May 25, 2012 - 7th Week of Easter - Fri
[Acts 25:13b-21 and John 21:15-19][Jesus] 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......" 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." [John 21]
A week ago I was in Chicago to preach a retreat at a Dominican priory that was familiar to me. Before the Southern Dominican Province came into being, I was a member of the Central Dominican Province, headquartered in Chicago at St. Pius V Priory. I belonged to that province for the first 15 of my 48 years as a Dominican. Most of the friars on the retreat were quite elderly and I had known most of them since I first entered the order in 1964. Three of them had taught me in the seminary! During my preparation for the retreat I found myself meditating more than once on the passage from the Gospel of John that forms our gospel scripture for today. Throughout long Dominican lives of service with all the ups and downs, these men had responded to Jesus' question, "Do you love me?" and his challenge, "Feed my lambs." Now they were living in a priory with assisted care provisions, and stretching out their hands for others to dress and lead them at times.
Although the context for this chapter in the Gospel of John is not the context of St. Pius V Priory or any other situation of the elderly, the words still have an impact. At 69 years of age, I find myself challenged by Jesus' words. Simon Peter was living with his betrayal of Jesus (three times). All the other disciples also were living with their abandonment of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemani. Yet, here they are, still disciples and still being challenged by Jesus' words. Are we any different? Even in old age, we are still being asked, "Do you love me?" And even in old age, we will have to find a way to feed those lambs! AMEN