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54. Appearance of Jesus at the Sea of Galilee.

The disciples were back in Galilee for a short time. Peter and some of them were fishing on the lake. In the morning Jesus stood on the shore and asked, “Children, have you nothing to eat?” He loved them as if they were his children. If you love someone warmly and intimately, you call them your child. The poor disciples had nothing with which they could bring about their Lord. They had caught nothing all night long. But where Jesus is, there is no lack. A meal was soon provided. When they had enjoyed the meal, among other confidential conversations, he looked at the disciple who had denied him three times and said to him with moving words: “Simon, would you rather have me than these?” For before Jesus was arrested, Peter had said, “If all forsake you, I will not forsake you,” as if he had a greater love for Jesus than John and the other disciples. That is why he asked him: “Do you prefer me?”

He wanted to lead him to knowledge of himself, to humility and to righteousness towards the other disciples. Self-knowledge leads to humility and righteousness. Peter no longer desired to be better than the other disciples. He answered humbly and truthfully. “Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him: “Graze my lambs!” The second time he asked him: “Do you love me?” Peter gave him the same answer. Jesus said to him: “Graze my sheep!” He asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” Peter answered him the third time, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him again, “Graze my lambs!”

He gave his disciple, who had denied him three times, the opportunity to confess his love for him three times and comforted him. God gives every good man who has sinned out of weakness the opportunity to recognize his sin, and accepts the confession of his faithfulness and love with pleasure and comforts him.