Focus on Your Own Faith Journey
Peter, still dripping wet from his enthusiastic swim to shore, has just received one of the most profound commissions in Christian history - "Feed my sheep." But what does he do next? Like any good friend (or perhaps like any of us), he immediately turns around, spots John following behind, and asks Jesus, "Lord, what about him?" It's almost comical, isn't it? Here's Peter, fresh from a life-changing encounter with the risen Christ, and his first instinct is to peek over the spiritual fence at his neighbor's calling. We can practically hear the human curiosity bubbling up: "If I'm going to suffer for you, Jesus, what's John's story going to be?" It's the eternal question that echoes through parish halls and coffee shops today: "Why does their faith journey look so different from mine?" Peter's curiosity reveals something we all struggle with - the temptation to measure our spiritual progress against others rather than focusing on our own accountability before God.
Jesus' response is swift, gentle, and brilliantly redirective: "What is that to you?" In other words, "Peter, that's not your responsibility." Christ doesn't indulge our natural tendency to compare spiritual scorecards or become the spiritual directors of others' lives. Instead, He offers what might be the most liberating correction in all of Scripture. The Lord reminds us of a fundamental truth: we are each 100% accountable for our own response to His grace. While we deeply care about others making it to heaven - and we should - we cannot force anyone to live the life that will get them there. We can pray, encourage, and live as faithful examples, but ultimately, each person must answer Christ's call personally. Whether John would live to be a hundred or die tomorrow, whether he would face martyrdom or peaceful old age, these details belong to the mysterious wisdom of divine providence and John's own free will response to grace.
The beauty of Jesus' final words to Peter - "You follow me" - lies in their intimate focus on personal accountability. This isn't a generic call to discipleship; it's a direct summons to Peter's heart about his own spiritual journey. After all the denials, failures, and fumbling attempts at faithfulness, Jesus still calls Peter to focus entirely on his own path of discipleship. This is where our energy must be concentrated: staying 100% focused on Jesus in our own lives. We each battle different vices and sins throughout our spiritual journey. Some struggle with pride, others with despair. Some wrestle with anger, others with lust or greed or envy. Some face trials of faith, others deal with scrupulosity. The Catholic understanding of this calling is profound - we're not meant to be carbon copies of other Catholics. Still, rather authentic versions of ourselves surrendered to God's grace and fight our own particular spiritual battles with His help.
The genius of this passage is how it clarifies our true mission and responsibility. We are called to pour all our spiritual energy into following Christ ourselves while praying fervently for others and encouraging them through our example and words. But we cannot - and must not - try to control or orchestrate others' spiritual journeys. When we stop looking sideways at why others seem to struggle with different sins than we do, or why their prayer life looks different, or why God seems to bless them differently, we discover something liberating: we have enough work keeping our own eyes fixed on Jesus. Our individual response to Christ's grace matters immensely, and we'll give account for our own choices, not those of our neighbors. So whether you're battling pride or lust, whether you're called to be a contemplative or an active servant, whether your cross is illness or loneliness or financial struggle, your calling is crystal clear: follow Christ with everything you have, and trust Him to work in others' hearts as only He can. After all, the path to heaven is narrow for each of us, and we need all our focus to walk it faithfully.
©2025 James Dacey Jr.
