Don’t get lost in the dark. God, who is Light, even in the darkest hours of your night, may you risk your life and your path!
You know that I like to surprise you. And today I want to do it with the Gospel of the Passion: by far the longest passage that the Liturgy offers for a day. We all know it: it narrates the last hours of Jesus’ life. But today I will tell you about two other characters who are somewhat hidden between the verses.
Yes, what’s the point of despairing? To nothing! Indeed, despair closes the heart and prevents God’s grace and love from strengthening our soul and saving us. Saint Peter knows this well and in this context he behaves as if he were the emblem of human frailty: as long as God makes his presence felt, as long as he walks alongside Jesus who works miracles, his faith appears like granite; even at the moment of Christ’s capture on the Mount of Olives he exposes himself by drawing his sword and defending the Master. He will cut off the ear of Malchus, the servant of the high priest. Then? As soon as Jesus is taken away by the guards, his ardor turns to fear:
“Simon Peter, with another disciple, followed Jesus. That other disciple knew the high priest, so he managed to enter the courtyard of the palace together with Jesus. Pietro instead remained outside near the door. Then the other disciple (as Saint John the Evangelist calls himself), who knew the high priest, went out, spoke to the doorkeeper and also let Peter in. The doorkeeper said to Peter, “Are you also a disciple of that man?” But Peter said, “No, I am not.” The servants and guards had lit a coal fire and were warming themselves, because it was cold. Peter also stood with them near the fire” (John 18,15-18).
Christ is questioned, “Meanwhile Simon Pietro remained to warm himself. Someone said to him: It seems to me that you are one of his disciples. But Peter denied it and said: “I am not one of those.” Among the servants of the high priest there was a relative of the one who had had his ear cut off by Peter. He said to him: «But I saw you in the garden, with Jesus!». Once again Peter said it wasn’t true, and immediately a rooster crowed.” (John 18, 25-27). A concierge, a servant, a rooster. And all the courage of the first of the apostles vanishes. I like to integrate the story of Saint John with the words of Saint Luke: “Then the Lord, turning, looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the words that the Lord had said to him: «Before the cock crows, today you will deny me three times». And when he went out he cried bitterly” (Luke 22,61-62).
Peter’s tears drip with repentance, but they also betray his shame at having failed to keep his promise: «Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will give my life for you!” (John 13.37). Only a few hours before the courage, now that Christ is kept away from the guards not only does he not want to follow him, but fear forces him to deny him. Faith, far from God, always wavers. Even within ourselves, when we persist in distancing ourselves from Him. Because, as Saint Paul writes: “It is no longer I who live: it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2.20). Yes, our true life is with Christ, without Him we are nothing. […] Continue reading here.
Courtesy of Alessandro Ginotta
Source: La Buona Parola, Alessandro Ginotta’s blog https://www.labuonaparola.it/
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