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John Chapter 21:15-19, Christ manifests himself to his disciples by the sea side and gives Peter the charge of his sheep.

15. When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.

16. He saith to him again: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith to him: yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.

17. He said to him the third time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he had said to him the third time: Lovest thou me? And he said to him: Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. He said to him: Feed my sheep.*

18. Amen, amen, I say to thee, When thou wast younger, thou didst gird thyself and didst walk where thou wouldst. But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee and lead thee whither thou wouldst not.

19. And this he said, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had said this, he saith to him: Follow me.

*Feed my sheep... Our Lord had promised the spiritual supremacy to St. Peter; St. Matt. 16. 19; and here he fulfils that promise, by charging him with the superintendency of all his sheep, without exception; and consequently of his whole flock, that is, of his own church.

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ST. AUGUSTINE: HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Tractate CXXIII.

Chapter XXI. 12-19.

1. With this third manifestation of Himself by the Lord to His disciples after His resurrection, the Gospel of the blessed Apostle John is brought to a close, of which we have already lectured through the earlier part as we were able, on to the place where it is related that an hundred and fifty-three fishes were taken by the disciples to whom He showed Himself, and for all they were so large, yet were not the nets broken. What follows we have now to take into consideration, and to discuss as the Lord enables us, and as the various points may appear to demand. When the fishing was over, "Jesus saith unto them, Come [and] dine. And none of those who sat down dared to ask Him, Who art Thou? knowing that it was the Lord." If, then, they knew, what need was there to ask? and if there was no need, wherefore is it said, "they dared not," as if there were need, but, from some fear or other, they dared not? The meaning here, therefore, is: so great was the evidence of the truth that Jesus Himself had appeared to these disciples, that not one of them dared not merely to deny, but even to doubt it; for had any of them doubted it, he ought certainly to have asked. In this sense, therefore, it was said, "No one dared to ask Him, Who art Thou?" as if it were, No one dared to doubt that it was He Himself.

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John Chapter 17:20-26, Christ's prayer for his disciples. (part 3)

1. These things Jesus spoke: and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said:
...

20. And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me.

21. That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22. And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them: that, they may be one, as we also are one.

23. I in them, and thou in me: that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me.

24. Father, I will that where I am, they also whom thou hast given me may be with me: that they may see my glory which thou hast given me, because thou hast loved me before the creation of the world.

25. Just Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee. And these have known that thou hast sent me.

26. And I have made known thy name to them and will make it known: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

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ST. AUGUSTINE: HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Tractate CX.

Chapter XVII. 21-23.

1. After the Lord Jesus had prayed for His disciples whom He had with Him at the time, and had conjoined with them others who were also His own, by saying, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe on me through their word," as if we were inquiring what or wherefore He prayed for them, He straightway subjoined, "That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us." And a little above, while still praying for the disciples alone who were then with Him, He said, "Holy Father, keep in Thine own name those whom Thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are" (ver. 11). It is the same thing, therefore, that He now also prayed for in our behalf, as He did at that time in theirs, namely, that all--to wit, both we and they--may be one. And here we must take particular notice that the Lord did not say that we all may be one, but, "that they all may be one; as Thou Father, in me, and I in Thee" (where is to be understood are one, as is more clearly expressed afterwards); because He had also said before of the disciples who were with Him, "That they may be one, as we are." The Father, therefore, is in the Son, and the Son in the Father, in such a way as to be one, because they are of one substance; but while we may indeed be in them, we cannot be one with them; for they and we are not of one substance, in as far as the Son is God along with the Father. But in as far as He is man, He is of the same substance as we are. But at present He wished rather to call attention to that other statement which He made use of in another place, "I and the Father are one," [1761] where He intimated that His own nature was the same with that of the Father. And accordingly, though the Father and Son, or even the Holy Spirit, are in us, we must not suppose that they are of one nature with ourselves. And hence they are in us, or we are in them, in this sense, that they are one in their own nature, and we are one in ours. For they are in us, as God in His temple; but we are in them, as the creature in its Creator.

Continue reading "May 24: Meditation on the Gospel of the Day" »

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John Chapter 17:11b - 19: Christ's prayer for his disciples. (part 2)

1. These things Jesus spoke: and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said:

....

11b. Holy Father, keep them in thy name whom thou hast given me: that they may be one, as we also are.

12. While I was with them, I kept them in thy name. Those whom thou gavest me have I kept: and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition: that the scripture may be fulfilled.

13. And now I come to thee: and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy filled in themselves.

14. I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them: because they are not of the world, as I also am not of the world.

15. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from evil.

16. They are not of the world, as I also am not of the world.

17. Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth.

18. As thou hast sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

19. And for them do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

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