Gospel (Jn 21,20-25) - At that time, Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them, the one who at dinner had bent over his chest and asked him: "Lord, who is it that betrays you?". So when Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what will become of him?" Jesus answered him: «If I want him to remain until I come, what does it matter to you? You follow me." Therefore the rumor spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. However, Jesus had not told him that he would not die, but: "If I want him to remain until I come, what does it matter to you?". This is the disciple who testifies to these things and wrote them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are still many other things done by Jesus which, if they were written one by one, I think the world itself would not be enough to contain the books that would have to be written.

The commentary on the Gospel by Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia

The Gospel of John ends with this passage. Jesus, as we read yesterday, appeared to the disciples for the third time on the shores of Lake Tiberias. Peter, after having answered the triple question on love and having received the triple pastoral assignment, and after having listened to Jesus' words about his old age, turns and sees the disciple whom Jesus loved. He then asks Jesus: «Lord, what will become of him?». The question perhaps arises from curiosity or even from the desire for a comparison. Jesus calls Peter to follow him decisively, personally, without getting distracted. The words about the disciple that Jesus loved push us to focus on the verb "to remain" with which Jesus seems to mark the place of this disciple in the life of the Church. He is called to "remain" in love, that is, to bear witness not only to his love for the Lord, but even more to the love that the Lord has for him. John remains the disciple that Jesus loved. This is why we remember the extraordinarily tender scene of the Last Supper when this disciple was able to rest his head on Jesus' chest, thus showing an uncommon intimacy between him and the master. Only he who "rested his head on the chest of Jesus" was able to understand the mystery of the Son of God. He, guided by the Spirit, discovered the love of the Lord and lived and witnessed it in the community. The last lines of the Gospel, which form a new conclusion, underline this testimony. The author wants to link the evangelical writing to the life of the community of the disciple that Jesus loved. The author is then keen to point out that we are faced with an incomplete work: «There are still many other things done by Jesus which, if they were written one by one, I think that the world itself would not be enough to contain the books that should be write". It is a hyperbole that hides a profound truth: the revelation of Jesus is a mystery so great and profound that it escapes the full understanding of man. If anything, every disciple who reads these pages knows that he can only understand them if - like its author - he rests his head on the chest of Jesus. It is in an atmosphere of prayer and love that the meaning of what is written in this book.