When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go."
John 21:15–18 (RSV)
'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Three times St. Peter hears Jesus ask, 'do you love me?' St. Peter is doing penance for his three-fold denial of Jesus. St. Peter boldly proclaimed he would stand by Jesus, even unto death. And he failed, denying Jesus three times.
Jesus' asking is not a petty punishment for St. Peter's denials. Jesus is preparing St. Peter for what lies before him. 'Feed my sheep' comes on the heels of St. Peter's love.
'If you love me, Peter, you will tend my sheep. You will give the rest of your life caring for those who will come to faith. Our Roman brothers and sisters are confident that St. Peter is ordained as the first pope.
We will agree that St. Peter leads the early Church in its witness to the Risen Lord. St. Peter, who failed Jesus, is redeemed to proclaim the One who has mercy on all we who are failures.