LOVE JESUS MORE THAN OTHERS

     Jesus asks Peter three times: “Do you love me more than these?” Three times Peter answers: “Yes”. Jesus then asks him to feed the sheep of his flock, the Church, and he explains to him that the task of shepherding or leadership in the Church is going to stretch him and pull him in all directions he does not
want to go – it will break him. Peter is ultimately able to fulfill the task only
because of love that leads him even to martyrdom. Some people like to connect
this gospel event with Peter’s triple denial of Jesus: Peter was being
given now a chance to undo the damage layer by layer!
     Leadership in the Church consists first in loving Jesus and serving the flock
entrusted to our care. The qualification for leadership rests neither on our
organizational, oratorical, economic and public relation skills nor on social
status and political influence, but rather on our capacity to love and serve.
This fact makes the call to leadership or shepherding both personal and
communal in nature. Christianity is not simply a “me and Jesus” or “me and
the Bible” or “me being nice to others.” To be a Christian requires the Church
and leadership, especially the priesthood.
     Jesus continues to ask us: “Do you love me more than these?” Do we love
Jesus more than money, power, prestige, status and advancement? Do we
love him enough to risk being unpopular or unfairly targeted? This is our
challenge. Where there is no challenge, mediocrity rules; and mediocre
life inspires no one. Love involves risks. Jesus is interested not in mediocre but radical love that requires sacrifices. “Whoever loves father or mother more  than me is not worthy of me” (Mt. 10:37).
     God is love and he wants us to love him with “all” our heart, mind and soul.
Consequently, the call to leadership involves not just an ordinary loving, but
loving Jesus “more than” everyone and everything else.
                                                                               Fr. Victor D'Souza