Tag: peterdeniesjesus

Posted in CATHOLIC Quotes, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD, QUOTES on Lukewarmness, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, St PETER!

Thought for the Day – 7 April – Peter Denies Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 7 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Peter Denies Jesus

“While Jesus was praying and suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter was asleep.
He followed Jesus, at a distance admittedly but he followed fearfully and slowly.

Unfortunately, tepidity is the first step towards falling into sin.
A man who is lukewarm and does not pray, will fall victim to the first assault.
This is what happened to Peter.
The same will happen to us if we do not preserve a bond of love and prayer with Jesus.
At least, after his first fall, Peter should have remembered Jesus’ prophecy.
He should not have continued to trust in his own strength and should have escaped from the occasion of sin.
Instead of this, he remained in it.
As a result, instead of falling only once, he denied his Divine Master three times with oaths and protestations!

Let us learn to flee from the occasions of sin.
When we find ourselves in them, let us escape as quickly as possible.
If our duty obliges us to face them, God will certainly give us the strength to overcome them, as long as we humbly ask for it.
On the other hand, if we are imprudent about placing ourselves in danger, we shall certainly fall.
“He who loves danger, shall perish in it!” (Ecclus 3:25).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/04/17/thought-for-the-day-17-april-peter-denies-jesus/

Posted in MAUNDY THURSDAY, MEDITATIONS - ANTONIO CARD BACCI, St PETER!, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 17 April – Peter Denies Jesus

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 17 April – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

Peter Denies Jesus

“Peter was by nature impetuous and generous.
He loved Jesus sincerely.
Even after the other Apostles had run away when Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane (Cf Mt 26:56), he followed Him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the High Priest’s house.
“Peter was following at a distance” (Lk 22:54).
In his generous enthusiasm, however, he depended too much on himself.
During the last supper, Jesus had foretold to His Apostles, His approaching passion and death and their desertion.
Immediately, Peter had solemnly declared that, even if all the others would scandalised on the night of the passion, he would never be scandalised.
He would, he said, be ready to go with Jesus to prison and to death (Cf Mt 24:33, Lk 22:33).
But Jesus, tried to put him on his guard against presumption. “I tell thee, Peter, a cock will not crow this day, until thou hast denied three times, that thou knowest me” (Cf Lk 22:34).
In spite of this prophecy, the impetuous Apostle went as far as the courtyard of the High Priest.
While the divine Redeemer was brought in chains before the judgement seat of the High Priest, where He was calumniated, struck and condemned to death, Peter was asked if he was a follower of the Galilean.
Three times, He denied his Master with oaths and protests.
Unfortunately, this is what happens to anyone who trusts presumptuously in his own strength.
This is what happens when we forget that we can do nothing, as St Paul points out, without the help and the grace of God.
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as from ourselves but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor 3:5).
Anyone is courting disaster if he foolishly places all his confidence in himself and neglects to seek the help of God, when he is danger.
He is certain to fall!“

Antonio Cardinal Bacci