Jesus wants to be a friend…This
discernment is the basis of all else. In the risen Lord’s dialogue with Simon
Peter, his great question was: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” In other
words, do you love me as a friend? The mission that Peter received to shepherd
Jesus’ flock will always be linked to this gratuitous love, this love of
friendship.
The life that Jesus gives us is a love story, a life
history that wants to blend with ours and sink roots in the soil of
our own lives. That life is not salvation up ‘in the cloud’ and waiting to be
downloaded…The salvation that God offers us is an invitation to be part
of a love story interwoven with our personal stories; it is alive and
wants to be born in our midst so that we can bear fruit just as we are,
wherever we are and with everyone all around us.
Excerpts from the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis, Christus Vivit.
