The WORD in Other Words by Fr Pelagio Pateno SVD (USA)
Saturday 7th Week of Easter
Acts 28:16-20, 30-31, Jn 21:20-25
In our family of eight, living in poverty, there was no envy or jealousy among us siblings because there was not much to compare in terms of material possession. But observing our well—off neighbors, sometimes I asked the Lord: “Lord, why the inequality?” Undoubtedly, there was a tinge of envy in that question.
It is easy to speculate about other people‘s lives but it can also be a distraction from God‘s plan or from making progress in our spiritual life. When Jesus told Peter of the kind of death he would have, Peter instead turned around and seeing John, asked the Lord, “How about him?” This dramatic part of the gospel made me reflect on the reality of envy and “misplaced concerns” in our lives. “What about him? What about me?” are often the questions asked to satisfy our desire of importance. Jesus has the answer for all of us. “Follow me.”
Yes indeed, we have to follow him but on one condition: that we have to carry our cross. Each one has his/her own way of following Jesus. No one has the exact copy of another person‘s path.
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