MARY, OUR MOTHER

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #527

But Peter sat without in the court. And there came to him a servant maid, saying: "Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied before them all, saying: "I know not what thou sayest." And as he went out of the gate, another maid saw him; and she saith to them that were there: "This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth." And again he denied with an oath: "I know not the man." And after a little while, they came that stood by and said to Peter: "Surely thou also art one of them. For even thy speech doth discover thee." Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which he had said: "Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice." And going forth, he wept bitterly. (Matt. 26:69-75)

OUR BLESSED LORD'S OMNISCIENCE: When, the evening before, our Lord said to His disciples: "All of you shall be scandalized in Me this night," Peter would not admit the possibility of such a thing in his case: "Although all shall be scandalized," he protested, "I will never be scandalized!" In spite of his protest, our Lord then distinctly told him: "To-day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice;" and so it came to pass. He knew before hand precisely how many times, and exactly what hours Peter would deny Him; and, though He could not possibly have seen with His eyes at the time, what was happening in the outer court of the High Priest's house, He knew exactly what was occurring. Our Blessed Lord proved Himself to be Omniscient, i. e. God.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]

(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)