Feria IV infra Hebdomadam XII post Octavam Pentecostes – 5 August
III classis – In spiritu S. Pii X Papæ Confessoris
Readings:
- Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 2:2–8
- Gospel: John 21:15–17
“We Were Gentle in the Midst of You”: Apostolic Zeal and Pastoral Charity
On this Wednesday of the twelfth week after the Octave of Pentecost, the Church sets before us two poignant passages: St. Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians and Our Lord’s dialogue with St. Peter on the shore of Galilee. These texts speak with one voice: the shepherd must both love the flock and be willing to suffer for its good—not seeking to please men, but God.
In the spirit of St. Pius X, whose feast this day recalls in its Office and Mass the zeal of a true shepherd and confessor of the faith, we are reminded of the apostolic ideal: pietas et doctrina—piety and sound doctrine, united in pastoral charity.
1 Thessalonians 2:2–8 — “Not as Pleasing Men, but God”
“We were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much striving… For neither did we use flattering speech, as ye know… But we became as little ones in the midst of you, as if a nurse should cherish her own children.”
St. Paul recalls his missionary labors in Thessalonica. Fresh from sufferings in Philippi, he enters with boldness, not flattery. His preaching is not marketing—it is martyrdom. “We were bold in our God”—this is parrhesia, the apostolic courage rooted not in self-confidence, but in divine mandate.
St. John Chrysostom marvels at Paul’s humility:
“What he says is this: ‘We might have been burdensome, and claimed honor as apostles, but we did not. We placed ourselves at your service, like a nurse does for her children.’” (Hom. in I Thess.)
The imagery is striking. The Apostle, pillar of the Church, likens himself not to a ruler, but a nurse—nutrix. In Latin, the term evokes nourishment, motherliness, and selfless care.
This, too, is the spirit of St. Pius X, who took as his motto Instaurare omnia in Christo—”To restore all things in Christ.” He did not seek the favor of the powerful, but the salvation of souls, even the smallest. His great concern for the early reception of the Eucharist is a direct echo of Paul’s nursing image: the divine food must be given to the children of the Church.
John 21:15–17 — “Lovest Thou Me? Feed My Sheep”
“Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these?”
This triple interrogation pierces the heart of Peter—and with him, all who share in his office. Our Lord does not ask Peter about his knowledge, organization, or leadership strategy. He asks about love.
As St. Augustine writes:
“Let us love Christ, and then it is easy to tend the flock of Christ… Let that be the reason why you feed the sheep—because you love the Shepherd.” (In Joann. Evang., Tract. 123)
Each response from Peter, despite his painful memory of denial, is met with a commission: Feed my lambs… Feed my sheep. Pastoral authority is rooted not in ambition, but in caritas. And it is Christ’s flock—not Peter’s.
St. Pius X, a pope of towering doctrinal clarity, was also deeply pastoral. He wrote:
“The primary duty of the Church and of the successors of the Apostles is to feed the flock of Christ with the food of truth.” (Pascendi Dominici Gregis, 1907)
And what is this truth if not the revealed Gospel, taught without compromise or modern distortion? The link between Peter’s love and Peter’s duty is not negotiable. To love Christ is to guard and nourish His sheep—souls made in His image, purchased by His blood.
The Measure of a True Shepherd
St. Paul, gentle as a nurse, bold as a lion; St. Peter, humbled in love, commanded to feed; and St. Pius X, Confessor of Faith and Protector of the Little Ones—these figures give us a model of the true shepherd.
In an age where many seek to please the world, to dilute the Gospel for human applause, we return to the firmness of these readings. The pastor does not belong to himself, nor to the world—but to Christ.
St. Gregory the Great, in his Regula Pastoralis, teaches:
“Let the pastor be discreet in keeping silence and profitable in speech… Let him be a near neighbor to everyone in compassion, and exalted above all in contemplation.” (Pastoral Rule, I.2)
The shepherd, then, must speak and suffer, must love and instruct, must correct and console.
Conclusion: In the Footsteps of the Pope of the Eucharist
Today’s propers echo the ideal lived out by St. Pius X. He embodied the Apostle’s boldness and the Shepherd’s love. In a world falling into error and indifference, he stood firm—not as one pleasing men, but God.
Let us ask his intercession, that all pastors may feed the flock with truth and charity, and that we, the faithful, may be docile sheep, ready to hear the voice of the true Shepherd, Christ Our Lord.
Collect (from the Feast of St. Pius X)
Deus, qui ad tuéndam cathólicam fidem et universa in Christo instauránda sanctum Pium Summum Pontíficem suscitásti: fac nos, ipsíus intercessióne, in eádem fide firmos permanére, et in tuo regno constánter operári instaurándos. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum…
“Feed My Sheep.”
“We were gentle among you, as a nurse cherisheth her children.”
May we, like St. Pius X, answer the call to restore all things in Christ—starting in our own hearts.