Do You Love Me?

As we continue to bask in the joy of the Resurrection this Easter season, today’s Gospel presents us with a tender and powerful moment between the risen Jesus and Peter. After the trauma of the Passion and the confusion of the empty tomb, Jesus appears once again—this time on the shore, cooking breakfast for his disciples.

But beyond the breakfast, something more profound happens: a moment of reconciliation and commissioning.

Jesus turns to Peter and asks not once, not twice, but three times: “Do you love me?” This echoes Peter’s three denials in the courtyard during Jesus’ trial. But Jesus doesn’t bring this up to shame Peter—he brings it up to heal him, to restore him, and to send him.

Each time Peter says, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you,” Jesus replies, “Feed my lambs… Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep.”

Jesus is reminding us that love for Him must lead to service—especially the kind of service that cares for the weak, guides the lost, and nourishes the faithful. Our love for Christ is not measured by feelings or words alone, but by our willingness to serve others, especially the most vulnerable.

May we, like Peter, say with all our hearts:

“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

And may that love lead us into lives of joyful, courageous service.