From: John 21:20-25

Peter’s Primacy (Continuation)

[20] Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, and who
had lain close to His breast at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is go-
ing to betray You?” [21] When Peter saw Him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about
this man?” [22] Jesus said to him, “If it is My will that he remain until I come, what
is that to you? Follow Me!” [23] The saying spread abroad among the brethren that
this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die,
but, “If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

Conclusion

[24] This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has writ-
ten these things; and we know that his testimony is true.

[25] But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them
to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would
be written.

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Commentary:

20-23. According to St. Irenaeus (”Against Heresies”, II, 22, 5; III, 3, 4) St. John
outlived all the other Apostles, into the reign of Trajan (98-117 A.D.). Possibly the
evangelist wrote these verses to dispel the idea that he would not die. According
to the text, Jesus does not reply to Peter’s question. The important thing is not
to be curious about what the future will bring but to serve the Lord faithfully, kee-
ping to the way He has marked out for one.

24. This is an appeal to the testimony of the disciple “whom Jesus loved” as a
guarantee of the veracity of everything contained in the book: everything which
this Gospel says should be accepted by its readers as being absolutely true.

Many modern commentators think that verses 24 and 25 were added by disci-
ples of the Apostle, as a conclusion to the Gospel, when it began to be circula-
ted, a short time after St. John completed it. Be that as it may, the fact is that
both verses are to be found in all extant manuscripts of the Fourth Gospel.

25. St. John’s account, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has as its
purpose the strengthening of our faith in Jesus Christ through reflecting on what
our Lord said and did. Like the Fourth Gospel, we shall never be able to capture
the full richness and depth of our Lord’s personality. “Once one begins to be inte-
rested in Christ, one’s interest can never cease. There is always something more
to be known, to be said—infinitely more. St. John the Evangelist ends his Gospel
making this very point (John 21:25). Everything to do with Christ is so rich, there
are such depths for us to explore; such light, strength, joy, desire have their
source in Him. [...] His coming to the world, His presence in history and culture
and [...] His vital relationship with our conscience: everything suggests that it is
unseemly, unscientific and irreverent ever to think that we need not and cannot
advance further in contemplation of Jesus Christ” (Paul VI, “General Audience”,
20 February 1974).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass

First reading

Acts 28:16-20,30-31 ©

On our arrival in Rome Paul was allowed to stay in lodgings of his own with the soldier who guarded him.

After three days he called together the leading Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, ‘Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and would have set me free, since they found me guilty of nothing involving the death penalty; but the Jews lodged an objection, and I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation to make against my own nation. That is why I have asked to see you and talk to you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear this chain.’

Paul spent the whole of the two years in his own rented lodging. He welcomed all who came to visit him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete freedom and without hindrance from anyone.

Psalm

Psalm 10:4-5,7 ©

The upright shall see your face, O Lord.

Alleluia!

The Lord is in his holy temple,

the Lord, whose throne is in heaven.

His eyes look down on the world;

his gaze tests mortal men.

The upright shall see your face, O Lord.

Alleluia!

The Lord tests the just and the wicked;

the lover of violence he hates.

The Lord is just and loves justice;

the upright shall see his face.

The upright shall see your face, O Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation

Col3:1

Alleluia, alleluia!

Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ,

you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is,

sitting at God’s right hand.

Alleluia!

Or	cf.Jn16:7,13

Alleluia, alleluia!

I will send you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord;

he will lead you to the complete truth.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them – the one who had leaned on his breast at the supper and had said to him, ‘Lord, who is it that will betray you?’ Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come, what does it matter to you? You are to follow me.’ The rumour then went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, ‘He will not die’, but, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come.’

This disciple is the one who vouches for these things and has written them down, and we know that his testimony is true.

There were many other things that Jesus did; if all were written down, the world itself, I suppose, would not hold all the books that would have to be written.