John 21:17
Jesus said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"
Three strikes and you are out! In baseball, yes but thank God not in real life. Jesus leads Peter down the path of forgiveness and healing by asking him three times if he loves Jesus. Peter finally gets distressed after this third time but I wonder if in that moment Peter recognized the pattern. Three times Peter denied Jesus and here the Risen Christ asked Peter to make three statements of love.
I also like the way Jesus addresses Peter in this last one by his family name. It reminds me to look into my family relationships and see where statements of love can perhaps forgive and help to heal statements of hurt.
Jesus surely knew Peter's love for him and he knows our hearts too. It is a gift from God, a grace, that in our hearts we find the strength to forgive and ask for forgiveness. It is in our hearts where we find the courage if that is what it takes, and the resolve to love and ask for love after conflicts. Then we find peace, even in troubled times.
