Where is the love?

“Peter, do you love me more than these?” (Jn 21:15)

This was the first of three “do you love me” questions from Christ directed at St Peter. And this one is the one that set the tone for the rest. When reading a short story, it is the first line that draws us in. The author of a short story knows that if he/she does not catch the reader after the first sentence then the reader probably won’t finish the story. So Christ, knowing he needed Peter’s attention, began with a full blast—“do you love me more than these”. Essentially, am I #1 in your life?

Personally, I do not think this is directed to only Peter. True, he was the one to inherent the keys to heaven. However, if we all wish to love Christ, no matter what vocation in life we choose, Christ must be our number one. He is the fulfillment of our joy and the key to eternal happiness. Simply put—HE IS GOD. He was there when the world was created and he will be there when the world ends. He is the Alpha and the Omega. So he should be our number one and number last.

So what for me would be the “these” that I have to love Christ more than? What is it that keeps me from loving Christ the most? What makes God take a backseat in my life?