It is good to enter into the time of meditative prayer with a spirit of quiet and relaxation. Let the mystery of God be near you, and let yourself be open to God’s gift of the Spirit.
John 21:1-17 Do you Love Me?
Guide
Presence: Take 2 cleansing breaths. I ask for the grace to gain an intimate knowledge of Jesus that I might be with him, become like him, and live for him.
Read John 21:1-17 twice, once silently and once audibly.
Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”
“No,” they replied.
Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
Gospel Contemplation: Using your imagination, prayerfully enter the passage with all your senses. What and who do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel—or taste? Where are you in the story? Who are you in the story? Do you engage with the risen Christ?
Silently, allow the story to unfold, watching the scene and watching yourself. Stay with this story for a few minutes, allowing God to speak to you through this experience.
Journal your experience of Jesus and of prayer
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