On the Door of the church at St. Paul’s is another small church in Rome: Domine quo vadis? The story of Peter in Rome, fleeing from the crucifixtion. Jesus said I am going to Rome to be crucified again. As the gospel says how he would die and stretch out his arms, he was said to have said: “As Jesus came down from heaven to earth and is crucified with feet down, so I who want to go from earth to heaven and am unworthy to die as Jesus, want to be crucified with my feet up to heaven. As Adam drew our head down to earth, so Jesus wants to gaze heaven.
Thousands now gather and soon when gather in the exact spot of where Peter laid down his life to show his love for Jesus. St. Peter’s square is built directly on top of that spot. It is the reminder that the foundation of the church is upon love.
3 times as a reparation but also to accept the 3 offices of the church: teaching, sanctifying and governing. But the heart of what Jesus requires of Peter and of the church is love. Peter is now able to look at the merciful gaze of Jesus, it covers his imperfections. Love is an ambiguous term.
Bound by rope and lead as a prisoner. The basis of the church, its members but primarily its leaders is love
Agape love. No simple love. Not just affective love but effective, he and we must do something. 2 times Jesus says Agape me? Peter only replies ‘philos se” I love you as a friend love. Its easy to want to love Jesus as a friend and as long as its mutually acceptable and helpful to me. But Agape is a total outpouring of self to God, to others. This is the love that we were made for and it is the love at the heart of the church. The feeding of the lambs, there is a deep connections between love of Jesus and feeding lambs. Those who lead the church are both responding to love of God by how they feed. The entire church, its ministry, its teaching, its sacraments is love. Again, as our eyes look to Rome, we are aware that the ministry we follow in the church is not just from an authority from one’s self but a call and command from Jesus. It can be easy to criticize the church for what decision are made. However, it is the church leading and guiding up and we will never fail to listen to them as God plans to feed us through them.
Do you love Jesus more than these? Are we willing to be lead where we do not want to go? Stretch out your arms. The church is the place where we can be challenged the most. Jesus is on the other shore, past death and calls us to