Friday, Seventh Week of Easter

St. John 21.15-19: "Jesus said to him the third time, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter felt hurt because Jesus said to him a third time, 'Do you love me?' And Peter said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.'"

"Jesus entrusted a specific authority to Peter: 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.' The "power of the keys" designates authority to govern the house of God, which is the Church. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, confirmed this mandate after his resurrection: 'Feed my sheep'" (CCC# 553).