In a sense, it can be said that in every profession, there are two calls of "follow me" that gradually echo: the initial one, characterized by a certain urgency and generosity, and the second, which we hear in times of dejection, difficulties, and trials. Saint Peter experienced both of these "follow me" calls. His life shows us that he did not give up even when following Christ became exceedingly difficult for him—after he denied Christ. His failure, on the contrary, became an opportunity for new maturity, as he again chose to follow Jesus in love until the end.
We see this after Christ's resurrection in Galilee when the Lord poses a fundamental question to him: Do you love me more than anything else? More than your own feelings, your own happiness? And from Peter's lips comes the most beautiful declaration of love, a cry of love bursting from a heart that has known suffering: "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." And then Jesus tells him a second time: "Follow me."
So too does this second "follow me" appear in our lives, coming in times of trial. Though it may not seem so, these moments never prevent us from remaining in love and faithfulness; on the contrary, they are actually opportunities for maturation, for a deeper response to Jesus’ call to "follow me".
(Mary David Totah, OSB /1957–2017/, The Joy of God)
