It may take the rest of my days to assimilate it all.

Mary of the Valley? This question has plunged us into a process of prayer, discernment, listening, study, surveys, interviews and research. Meanwhile, come and follow him.Д«ottom line: LetвЂ™s focus on the first thing God wants from us: to lift up Jesus.ДЇor almost a year we have asked this question: What is GodвЂ™s purpose вЂ“ his plan вЂ“ for St. If we live in faith and hope, then no matter who our death comes to us, sudden or not, peaceful, or violent, understood or while we are unaware, that death will give glory to God. He it is who binds us up, takes away our freedom, and wraps us up for the new life. The depiction of the martyrdom of St Peter as if it were the work of carers, who look after an old man, speaks of the true purpose of God. We may wish to continue forever, speaking, acting, making, sharing life, and being part of this world. Instead they speak of the deeper meaning of his death, and all death. They did not mislead Peter about his death. I assume that this passage was aimed at readers who knew how St Peter had died, but there must have been a time when these words of Christ were remembered, not least by St Peter himself, before his death. Three parts to the story: The miraculous draft of fish, Jesus asking Peter if he loves him, and then the odd prophecy of his death. A third time Jesus says, вЂњSimon, son of John, so you love me with ordinary love?вЂќ And Peter says, вЂњLord you know all things, you know thatвЂ™s the way I love you.вЂќ Then Jesus says, вЂњFeed my sheep.вЂќ Jesus asks a third time, and this time he does not use the word agape. This sets the context for the important lesson that is present in this Gospel. Peter responds again, вЂњLord, I love you with ordinary love.вЂќ By this time it has become clear to Jesus that although he is asking the highest form of love from Peter what Peter is offering in return is only ordinary love. вЂњSimon, son of John, do you love me with the highest form of love. Jesus asks, вЂњSimon son of John, do you love me with the highest form of love?вЂќ And Peter responds, вЂњLord I love you with ordinary love.вЂќ Disappointed Jesus tries a second time. If I was going to push this translation to catch this nuance it would go something like this. But what Peter is offering in return is ordinary human love, philia. Basically what Jesus is asking of Peter is the highest form of love, agape.

Three times in todayвЂ™s Gospel Jesus asks Peter, вЂњDo you love me?вЂќ And three times Peter responds, вЂњLord you know I love you.вЂќ But what we cannot hear in our English translation is that two different words are being used here for love. And by the light of that fire three different people asked Peter another question: вЂњArenвЂ™t you one of his followers?вЂќ And, in reply, Peter, three times, denied even knowingВ Jesus. This is one of my favorite scenes in the whole of scripture: the risen Christ having breakfast at the shore with his friends вЂ“ brunch on the beach with Jesus вЂ“ sounds good to me!вЂ¦ Jesus turns to Simon Peter and asks him, вЂњDo you love me?вЂќ What a question to hear from the lips of JesusвЂ¦В вЂњDo you love me?вЂќ And as soon as itвЂ™s asked, IвЂ™m sure Peter remembers the otherВ charcoal fire.Дo you remember that other fire? You heard about it on Palm Sunday and Good Friday: a fire in the courtyard of the high priest, on a Thursday night, a fire at which Peter warmed himself in the chill of the evening air вЂ“ while Jesus was being held for questioning. One of them is in the gospel we just heard. There are two charcoal fires in the New Testament.

Faith evans you been on my mind