“It is the Lord!” These simple words stir St. Peter’s heart so profoundly that he jumps into the sea in an effort to reach Jesus as quickly as possible. Do we have this kind of joy and desire to see Jesus? Perhaps the routine of receiving Jesus so frequently and easily has dampened our enthusiasm. Or, perhaps there is some sin or guilt in the way. Peter was able to overcome all of this, and so can we.
It may be easy to think that of course Peter would be overjoyed on Easter, but remember that just a few nights previous on Thursday, he famously swore three times that he didn’t even know Jesus. Even in the joy of Easter, it’s likely that Peter would have had some doubts about what Jesus thought of him.
On the seashore today, Jesus removes all doubt. For each of the three times that Peter denied knowing Jesus, he is allowed to speak the truth and say to Jesus what’s really on his heart. “You know all things. You know that I love you.” Then, perhaps to his great surprise, Jesus tells Peter that he still needs him to tend the sheep. He’s not picking a new Pope. Peter is still called to be the rock. Now that he has been forgiven by Jesus, Peter has to get up and be about his mission. Jesus has freed him from his past.
This encounter that Peter had with Jesus on the seashore is offered to each one of us in the Sacrament of Penance. Jesus knew that we, like Peter, need to come face to face and hear with our own ears that we are forgiven. That’s why Jesus uses the voice of the priest to speak to each one of us directly in the sacrament. Like Peter, we don’t have to wonder if our sins are forgiven. When Jesus speaks the words, “I absolve you from your sins,” through the voice of the priest, we know we are forgiven. Then we too are free to get up and be about our mission.