Do You Love Me? – The True Heart of a Shepherd Like Peter and Paul

As we honor the towering pillars of the Church—Saints Peter and Paul—we are invited not only to admire their witness but also to ask ourselves the hard and holy questions that shaped their lives. They were men transformed, not by strategy or skill, but by a singular love: love for Jesus Christ. And through their transformation, they became true shepherds of the people of God.

This call to be a shepherd is not exclusive to priests. Every servant leader in community—those who care for households, lead ministries, mentor others, and intercede for souls—is called to walk the path of Peter and Paul. The question is: What does it truly mean to be a shepherd after the heart of Christ?

1. The Foundational Question: “Do You Love Me?”

When Jesus restored Peter after his denial, He asked a question that cut deeper than failure, guilt, or performance:

"Simon, son of John, do you love me?" (John 21:16)

Not: Are you ready to lead?
Not: Do you have a plan?
Not: Can you manage a church?

But: "Do you love me?"

This is the essential foundation of a shepherd’s vocation. As the speaker in the reflection on Peter and Paul reminds us:

“Jesus did not say, ‘Peter, are you good at administration, at dealing with things?’… He asked about the most important and necessary thing: ‘Peter, do you love me?’”

A shepherd does not begin with competence, but with communion. He is not primarily a manager, but a lover of Christ. Without this personal love, our words ring hollow, our service becomes mechanical, and our leadership lacks life.

2. The Shepherd’s First Duty: Feed the Sheep

After the question of love comes the command:

“Feed my sheep.”

Jesus entrusts His flock to those who love Him. But what does it mean to “feed” the sheep?

“The sheep are cared for by the Word of God and the Eucharist. This is the shepherd's job: to preach the Gospel to God's people and to celebrate for them the Eucharist and the other sacraments.”

Even if we are not ordained, every leader is called to nourish others through the Word—by witnessing, teaching, and above all, living it. Our presence should bring others closer to Christ. We lead not only by words, but by the Eucharistic self-gift of our lives, poured out in love.

3. Not a Scholar, But a Witness

This is where the shepherd’s vocation becomes truly demanding: we must be the incarnation of what we say.

“The true shepherd must not only say what is right but also be the incarnation of what he says.”
“A call to teach your people what you have learned in Jesus’ presence—not simply like a scholar, but more like a witness.”

In other words, it is not enough to know about Jesus. We must know Him, personally, deeply, and lovingly. The Church needs fewer experts and more witnesses—people whose lives radiate the truth they preach.

This echoes the words of Pope Paul VI:

“Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.”

The true shepherd feeds the sheep with his very life. He becomes, in some mysterious way, a living sacrament of Christ, so that when he speaks, people sense Jesus’ love flowing through him.

4. A Shepherd United with Jesus

The efficacy of our leadership does not come from programs, planning, or productivity, but from our union with Christ.

“The efficacy of a shepherd comes from his union with Jesus, a union of love. The closer you get to the fire, the more you burn.”

If we want others to love Jesus, we must first love Him. If we're going to lead others to prayer, we must first pray. If we want to draw others to holiness, we must pursue holiness ourselves.

This is not selfish. As the speaker notes:

“All those who take care of people need to realize that they have to take care of themselves first… not material interests, but your own soul.”

A shepherd who neglects his own relationship with Christ will lead others into darkness. But one who abides in Him becomes a lamp for many.

5. What This Means for Us Today

We may not feel “qualified” to be leaders. Perhaps we are not great organizers. Maybe we are not eloquent. But Jesus is not asking for perfection—He is asking for love.

We are called:

• To love Jesus first.
  

• To love our people with His mercy.
  

• To teach what we have learned in His presence.
  

• To witness, not just instruct.
  

As St. Paul declares:

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Like Peter and Paul, we must burn with the love of Jesus, so much so that our lives proclaim: He is real. He is risen. He is with us.

A Final Prayer

May God grant our community holy shepherds, men and women who love Jesus and live for His people. May we be servant leaders who are not simply proficient, but passionate. Not merely capable, but consumed. Not only learned, but luminous.

Let us be the kind of shepherds whose love overflows from the altar of our hearts and into the lives entrusted to our care.

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23)

Let this be our aim—not success, not recognition—but union with Christ, and through that union, the ability to love and lead His sheep well.

Amen!