Vigils Reading – 3rd Sunday of Easter

LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER

From a commentary by St Augustine

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The Lord appeared once again to his disciples after his resurrection, and

questioning Peter, who from fear had thrice denied him, extracted from him a

threefold declaration of love. Christ had been raised to life in the flesh, and Peter

to life in the spirit, for when Christ died as a result of the torments he endured,

Peter was also dead as a result of denying his master. Christ the Lord was raised

from the dead; Christ the Lord raised up Peter through Peter’s love for him. And

having obtained from him the assurance of that love, he entrusted his sheep to

Peter’s care.

We may wonder what advantage there could be for Christ in Peter’s love

for him. If Christ loves you, you profit, not Christ; and if you love him, again the

advantage is yours, not his. But wishing to show us how we should demonstrate

our love for him, Christ the Lord made it plain that it is by our concern for his

sheep. Do you love me?, he asked. I do love you. Then feed my sheep. Once,

twice, and a third time the same dialogue was repeated. To the Lord’s one and

only question, Peter had no other answer than I do love you. And each time the

Lord gave Peter the same command: Feed my sheep. Let us love one another

then, and by doing so we shall be loving Christ.

Christ, the eternal God, was born in time as man. A true member of the

human race, he appeared as one of us; but as God in human form he performed

many wonderful signs. As a human being, he suffered much from other human

beings; but as God in human form he rose from the dead. For forty days he lived

on earth as one of us; then, before the eyes of his disciples, he ascended to

heaven, where, as God in human form, he is now seated at the right hand of the

Father. We believe all these things, though we have never seen them; we are

commanded to love Christ the Lord, whom we have never seen. And we all cry

out and say that we love Christ.

But listen to John’s words: If you do not love the brother or sister that

you can see, how can you love the God you cannot see? It is by loving the sheep

that you show your love for the shepherd, for the sheep are the members of the

shepherd. Indeed, it was to make the sheep members of his own body that the

Lord became one of them himself, that he allowed himself to be led like a lamb

to the slaughter, and that he allowed the baptist to point him out and say:

Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Surely a

crushing burden for a lamb! But that lamb possessed tremendous strength. Do

you wish to know how much strength was in this lamb? Because the lamb was

crucified, the lion was overcome. If he could vanquish the devil by his own

death, think with what power he is able to rule the world! May nothing, then,

ever be dearer to us than Christ the Lord; let us love him with all our hearts.