First Reading - Acts 28:16-20,30-31
Gospel - John 21:20-25
People often spend a great deal of time comparing themselves with others. We ask questions like: Why does that person have a different mission? Why is their life easier? Why does God seem to be asking more from me? Comparison can easily distract us from our own calling and prevent us from following God faithfully. Today’s Word of God reminds us that each disciple has a unique mission, and what matters most is not comparing ourselves with others but remaining faithful to Christ.
In the first reading, we meet Paul the Apostle at the end of his long missionary journey. Though he is under house arrest in Rome, he has not lost his zeal for the Gospel. He explains his situation to the local Jewish leaders and continues proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about Jesus Christ.
What is remarkable is that imprisonment does not silence him. His circumstances are limited, but his mission continues. The Book of Acts concludes with Paul preaching “with all boldness and without hindrance.” The Gospel continues to spread because Paul remains faithful to the task entrusted to him.
In the Gospel, after Jesus speaks about Peter’s future, Peter notices the beloved disciple following behind and asks, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus replies, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”
These words are both simple and profound. Jesus redirects Peter’s attention away from another disciple and back to his own vocation. Peter’s responsibility is not to worry about God’s plan for someone else, but to remain faithful to the path God has prepared for him.
The Gospel ends by highlighting the witness of the beloved disciple and reminding us that the works of Jesus are so many that the world itself could not contain all the books that might be written about them.
Dear friends, these readings invite us to reflect on three important lessons: faithfulness, personal vocation, and witness.
First, faithfulness. Paul remained committed to the Gospel despite hardships, imprisonment, and uncertainty. Faithfulness does not depend on circumstances; it depends on trust in God.
Second, personal vocation. Jesus reminds Peter that each disciple has a unique calling. God’s plan for one person may differ from His plan for another. Our task is not comparison but obedience.
Third, witness. Both Paul and the beloved disciple dedicated their lives to bearing witness to Christ. We too are called to testify to the Lord—not only through words but through the way we live, love, forgive, and serve.
The question for us today is: are we distracted by comparing ourselves with others, or are we focused on following Christ? Are we faithful to the mission God has entrusted to us? And does our life bear witness to the Gospel?
May we learn from the perseverance of Paul and the faithfulness of the beloved disciple. May we resist the temptation to compare ourselves with others. And may we hear Jesus speaking personally to our hearts today: “Follow me,” responding with trust, generosity, and unwavering faith.
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