John 21:15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

That passage from Scripture takes place after Jesus has died on the Cross and then rose from the dead.  He comes across Peter and asks him that piercing question, “Do you love me more than these?”  When I wrote Do You Love Me…I was perhaps 21 years old and I’ll wager I’d heard that passage from Scripture at least 15 – 20 times at Mass.  Each time I heard it, the question popped into my mind, “Jesus, what are the ‘these’ you are referring to?”  He’s not specific with Peter who answers, “yes, you know I love you”.   Peter was dodging the question. 

One afternoon on my lunch break from working at the Candy Factory I went into the Church to pray and the reading for that day were John 21:15.  As I read Jesus’ question there was more clarification in my mind. “Do you love me more than comfort that distracts you from the cross that you must bear,” “Do you love me more than fear?” “Do you love me more than pride?”  Now those questions I could relate to.

During my 45 minutes in the church that lunch time I heard the song sing to me of what Jesus was asking of me; “Do you love me more that comfort, fear, pride.”  I have to decide every day what my answer will be.