We know that Peter denied Jesus three times. We hear that during the Passion in the holy season of Lent. Today, in our Gospel from John, we hear Peter profess his love for Jesus three times, as Jesus tells him to feed his sheep. Today, we celebrate one of the great shepherds of our Church from the 20th century - Pope Paul VI. Paul VI become pope in 1963, in the middle of the Second Vatican Council. His papacy lasted for more than 15 years, until his death in 1978. The papacy of Paul VI has left a lasting legacy in our Church in the modern world. Being Pope at the height of the Cold War and in the midst of the Vietnam War, he addressed the United Nations in New York in 1965 with these famous words: "No more war, never again war. Peace, it is peace that must guide the destinies of people and of all mankind.” To foster common bonds with all persons of good will, he decreed an annual peace day to be celebrated on January first of every year. To this day, each pope issues a prayer message for peace on January 1 in St Peter’s Square. Pope Paul VI is famous for this statement which has become a cornerstone of Catholic Social Teaching: “If you want peace, work for justice.” To me, this message of peace and justice is what I remember most about Pope Paul VI. It is a message I thought of often in my missionary work in different places, including teaching in the Mississippi Delta, because I certainly saw that as a work of peace and justice.
How do we show that we love Jesus? How do we show that we are looking after God’s flock? The message that Pope Paul VI leaves us by his life and his words gives us a glimpse into how we should answer.
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