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Buenos Aires, Sunday, April 25, 2004

Father Oscar Pezzarini

To love Christ means to “feed His sheep”

On this third Easter Sunday the Gospel of the Mass shows us Jesus asking Peter three times if he loves Him to which Peter replies he does, and Jesus tells him “feed my sheep”. Each one of us is also called to “feed sheep”, the same ones Christ entrusted the Church with. Each one of us can find “sheep” he can feed on behalf of Jesus who has put them in our way.

We are continuing Easter time, and on this already third Sunday of this Easter time the Gospel of the Mass shows us Jesus asking Peter three times if he loves Him to which Peter replies he does, and Jesus tells him to “feed my sheep”.

By this mandate of feeding His sheep He was confirming him in his mission of leading the whole Church, and not only Peter but all of his successors, the Popes.

Each one of us is also called to “feed sheep”, the same ones Christ entrusted the Church with. Keep in mind that Jesus also asks each one of usSo-and-so, do you love me? and surely our anwer will beYes, you know I love you to which the Lord will reply feed my sheep.

And what does feeding His sheep mean?

It comes to my mind it can mean caring and defending with all our might the life of this “little lamb” (a child) which is about to be born, or maybe it also means to give Christian education both by words and by example to the sheep God has placed under our responsibility at home.

Maybe feeding the sheep also means to watch particularly over those family members who are ill or live far away from the “flock” and may have been deserted by us.

Or maybe it is finding the way to help those “lost sheep” we know... or at least to pray for them.

Surely feeding the sheep also means looking after the material and spiritual well-being of those who are at our service or under our responsibility, or it might also mean to show our understanding and possible help to those we call the “black sheep” of the family or the group we partake.

After all, surely we all can find “sheep” we can feed on behalf of Jesus who has put them in our way.

Father Oscar Pezzarini
General Commissioner of the Work of Don Orione in Argentina

Father Oscar Pezzarini makes us think with his reflections in "Diálogos de Buena Fe" the radio program of the Felices los Niños Foundation on Radio Belgrano, AM 950 kHz, Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.
Little Cottolengo Don Orione 0800-333-6746 in Argentina or +54 (11) 4268-7722 from abroad.

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