LOVE'S IN NEED OF LOVE TODAY

Lorna DesRoses

“Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” (Jn. 21:1-19)

In today’s Gospel, after a long night of unsuccessful fishing, the disciples hear a voice from the shore encouraging them: “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.”

They obey with some reluctance— and suddenly, their nets strain under the weight of a

miraculous catch. In that moment, their eyes are opened. They recognize that this is the

Lord, the Risen Christ!

They rush back to shore, where He is standing by a coal fire, preparing a meal

to satisfy their hunger and restore their souls. Peter, in particular, carries the burden of his betrayal. Three times he distanced himself from the One he swore to follow.

Now, by the fire, Jesus asks him three times, “Do you love me?” This is not a casual or sentimental question. It demands an intentional response. Even though Peter denied and distanced himself from Jesus, the Lord does not simply forgive him. He calls him. He calls him to be transformed. He entrusts him with His flock. "Feed my sheep. “Tend my lambs."

Real love is not just words. Love moves, acts, and restores. It encounters us where we are but never leaves us there. It calls us beyond our failures, beyond our comfort.

True love not only heals individuals. It brings healing to the community, to society

as a whole.

Jesus looks at each of us and asks the same question: "Do you love me?” How have we responded in times past? How do we respond today? Jesus meets Peter where he is and leads him to where He needs him to be. He meets us where we are and guides us toward a deeper, more profound love that transforms us, our families, and the beloved community.

Many years ago, I was with a small group of people having lunch with a religious sister who has since gone home to her reward. During our time together, someone asked her to share her vocational story.

She spoke of her experience of being Black and Catholic in the early to mid-20th century— an experience full of many difficulties yet full of much joy.

She felt a call pulling her heart toward religious life during her teen years. She prayed for discernment, and the answer was always a resounding yes.

So, she contacted, first one community, then another, and still another…

Each time, the answer came back the same. " No."

Not because of her faith.

Not because of her dedication.

Not because of a personal shortcoming.

She was not welcome to be part of these religious communities because of her race.

Yet, she did not give up, she continued to make inquiries with religious communities.

Finally, she contacted a community that responded differently than the others, "We would be delighted to meet you."

That community became her home. She professed her final vows and served the Lord in that community for many decades. It was not always easy, but she loved her sisters, the people she served, and most of all, the God who called her into this sharing of a deeper love, a life- giving love that mirrors Christ’s love for His people.

This is the love Jesus calls us to share. It must be active, bold, and unafraid to challenge what is broken.

The words of educator, scholar, and speaker Servant of God, Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA, remind

us that we must "learn to work together, to love together, to build together, to struggle together."

Catholic Social Teaching informs us that love is not a passive personal emotion. It must

be active in how we live out our lives in our homes, parishes, and communities.

Love feeds.

Love challenges.

Love corrects.

Love lifts up.

Like Peter, we are called to feed, tend, and believe in a love deeper than wounds and

bigger than betrayals. But we are not alone in this work. Jesus did not say, “Peter, you go feed your sheep!” He said, “Feed my sheep.” 

The flock belongs to the Lord. The responsibility belongs to all of us. Jesus does not just call us—He feeds us, nourishes us, and loves us into who we are meant to be.

How do we respond to this all-encompassing love? Do we let it transform us, or do we

hold back? Love calls us beyond comfort, beyond fear, beyond all that keeps us from fully embracing God’s call. It is not enough to feel love— we must live it. In our families, in our parishes, in our communities.

So, this question is not only to Peter, but to the whole Church, to every disciple, to every

person who claims the name of Christ:

“Do you love me?”

“Feed my sheep.”

“Tend my lambs.”

Author: Lorna DesRoses serves Black Catholics within the Archdiocese of Boston. She is enrolled in the Master of Arts in Ministry Program at St. John Seminary in Brighton, MA, and is the creator and host of the Voices from the Pews podcast. She strives to joyfully witness the Good News of the love of Christ with everyone she meets. Lorna lives in Boston with her husband.

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