Word to the Wise
Friday, May 21, 2021 - 7th Week of Easter - Fri
[Acts 25:13b-21 and John 21:15-19]"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]
The scene in the daily gospel passages shifts radically from the Farewell Discourse at the Last Supper to a post-resurrection setting that is filled with emotion and eucharistic themes. I recommend reading the entire chapter to get the "big picture." The eucharistic themes are represented in the large catch of fish and the meal of bread and fish that recall the multiplication of loaves and fishes in chapter six of this gospel.and point to the eucharistic unity of the community, a net that is unbroken despite the large catch. But the basic thrust of the entire chapter is the restoration of Peter from his denial of Jesus during the passion to his leadership of the flock, a position which would cost him everything. By the time the Gospel According to John was composed (90-110 AD), Peter and Paul had both been martyred in Rome, ca. 64 AD. The words quoted above speak to Peter's development from his early days as a disciple to a leadership role that would require him to follow Jesus.
On a more personal level, I cannot help but "accommodate" the words of Jesus about growing old to my own life and the lives of all "elders" that I know. (I am 78.] Elderhood is not simply about losing all the independence once enjoyed in youth, but also about a new following of Jesus after a lifetime of following {by leading] in other ways. Jesus' three-fold question, "Do you love me?" strikes home. We may be following the flock more than leading it now, but we still can feed and comfort. AMEN