Gospel Reflection – Saturday, June 7, 2025

junio 7, 2025

Dear brothers and sisters, peace and all good.

We’ve reached the end of the stories that have accompanied us throughout these weeks of Easter. Both Paul’s journey in Rome and the path of the Risen Christ are coming to an end, and now we await the Ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel ends with a conversation between Jesus and Peter about the beloved disciple. Peter is curious about what will happen to John, and he asks Jesus about it. But Jesus tells him not to worry about John’s future—he should focus instead on following Him. That’s great advice for all of us, because it’s easy to get distracted thinking about what others are doing instead of what we are called to do. It also reminds us that our priority is to obey God, not to go around guessing other people’s future.

After Jesus rises from the dead, Peter is faced with the big responsibility of leading the Church. And that’s when he starts to worry about what will happen to John, the beloved disciple. When Peter sees him, he asks Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” (John 21:21). This shows Peter’s concern for John’s future.

Jesus replies, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” With this, Jesus makes it clear that Peter’s job is to follow Him and focus on his own mission—not someone else’s. His answer has some important lessons:

First, the importance of obedience. Jesus tells Peter to follow Him and not to get caught up in worrying about John’s future. This reminds us how important it is to focus on our own calling and follow God’s path for us.

Second, the power of God. Jesus doesn’t tell Peter what will happen to John. He simply reminds him that the future belongs to God alone.

The passage ends with John saying that he is the one who wrote the Gospel and testifies to what Jesus did. It also says that Jesus did many other things that couldn’t all be written down.

This Gospel invites us not to get stuck thinking about other people’s future, but to focus on our mission and on following Jesus. It reminds us that God has a unique plan for each of us, and we shouldn’t try to control or guess anyone else’s path. It’s the Holy Spirit who helps us live this way, sharing the Good News with others—just like Paul did in Rome.

Your brother in faith,

Alejandro, C.M.F.