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Imagine how shocked one spouse would feel to hear the other questioned their love.
Or how hurt a best friend would be to hear the other question their loyalty.
It could be deeply hurtful.
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In the Gospel, Jesus does just that. He questions Peter’s loyalty, then his love, asking him three times, “Peter, do you love me?”
Peter’s desperate, wholehearted response is one every Christian should aspire to say:
“Lord, Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
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“Lord, Lord.”
In Latin, “Domine, Domine.”
It’s from the Latin word, Domine, that we get the word, dominate.
Lord, Lord…Domine, Domine…dominate.
To dominate means to be the central figure; to have a commanding influence over something or someone.
What Peter’s saying, then, is that Jesus is the most important person in his life; he is the central figure, the commanding influence.
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This is the type of devotion Peter must have in order to continue following Jesus.
Jesus has empowered him to be the chief shepherd of the Church, and will eventually lead Peter to offer his life as a witness to our faith.
Perhaps we should ask ourselves the same: Who or what is the center of my life?
Is it me? A friend? A spouse? Or the Lord?
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Lord, Lord, Domine, Domine, you know everything; you know that I love you. You are the center of my life.
Peter’s words are challenging. But they’re the words every Christian should aspire to say, not only with our lips, but also with our lives.
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Our Lord is the center of my life for sure. TYVM for your input and confirmation on this fact. God Bless You and keep safe.