The Gospel for This feast of St. Philip Neri is taken from John 21st, chapter 15, 19th verse. After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter, simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Simon Peter answered him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, feed my lambs. He then said to Simon Peter a second time, simon, son of John, do you love me?

Simon Peter answered him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, tend my sheep. He said to him a third time, simon, son of John, do you love me? And Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, do you love me? And he said to him, lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.

Jesus said to him, feed my sheep. Amen. Amen. I say to you, when you were younger you used to dress yourselves to go where you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.

And then when he said this, he said to him, follow me. The image of the good shepherd is an image of the way Jesus has worked in the world and how we are to work in the world. We are to feed and to tend. And feeding is to give them information to reveal the truth as it’s revealed through Christ. But there’s also the work of tending. And tending is different than teaching.

It’s a way of being close to listening to where someone is so that we know where their pain is and what they need to know and what they don’t know. And then we continue to feed. It’s a beautiful image of the way God works with us and the way we’re invited to work with each other. The Closing Prayer Father, there’s no way that we can share your message with those that we love without entering fully into their experience of their life. Give us a openness, a non judgmental spirit as we listen to each other and learn where we struggle and learn how to speak the word of God to that struggle. It’s a gift you’ve given us, it’s a responsibility.

We have to use that gift for the good of those around us. And we ask this in Jesus name, amen.