John 21:16

He saith to him the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee. Hear S. Chrysostom: "Again he dreads the former things, lest perchance, thinking himself to love, he should be corrected if he did not love, like as before he was corrected for thinking himself strong, and therefore he takes refuge in Christ Himself."

He saith unto him the second time, Feed My lambs. Thus the Arabic has it. But the Greek and Syriac instead of lambs have sheep, but it is very probable that the Vulgate, together with the Arabic, read the Greek πζοβατία inserting iota, i.e., little sheep, or lambs : because the shepherd's chief care must be for them; and therefore Christ repeats and doubles His injunction concerning them.

As S. Augustine says, "Let it be love's office to feed the Lord's flock, like as it was the mark of fear to deny the Shepherd." Hence S. Gregory (1 Part. Pastor. c. v.) says, "He who is strong in virtue and refuses to feed the flock of God is proved not to love his Pastor."