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Reflections from The Cross, Our Only Hope

Peter became the Lord’s true and reliable disciple not during the days he followed in Galilee but after he disowned his Lord and wept and was given the opportunity not to become as he once was but to serve as he never had served. — Holy Cross Constitutions

Peter deserved to hear the words, “You’re fired.” Stubborn, self-righteous, and cocky, Peter made his share of mistakes during his three-year apprenticeship with Jesus.

But they had become friends, and Jesus was always able to cast a net deep into Peter’s heart and draw out the love and goodness that was in there. It was because of this love and friendship, however, that Peter’s betrayal of Jesus was all the more shocking and devastating, and no one felt it more than Peter himself. We can only imagine the guilt and shame this rock of the Church must have felt at what he’d done to his beloved friend.

But as we know, there is always more to the story when dealing with Jesus. What Peter was to discover on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, what we hopefully all discover in our lives, is that love is stronger than all the wrong we might do, that it is stronger even than death.

On the beach after his resurrection, Jesus asked Peter the only question that mattered, “Do you love me?” In their exchange, echoed three times, all was forgiven and set right, all was healed and made new. Jesus gave Peter back to himself.

So it is with us. We know what it is like to fail, to disappoint ourselves and others, to bear the weight of sin and guilt. In each of these moments, over and over throughout our lives, Jesus whispers into our hearts his question, “Do you love me?”

When we murmur back our yes, however tentative, Jesus heals us and sends us, like Peter, on our way to serve others.

— Rev. Peter Jarret, C.S.C. (Reflection for April 26)

From The Cross, Our Only Hope: Daily Reflections in the Holy Cross Tradition, ed. by Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C., and Kevin Grove, C.S.C., Copyright 2008 by Priests of Holy Cross, Indiana Province. Used with permission of Ave Maria Press (www.avemariapress.com).