The Giving of the Keys to Saint Peter by Pietro Perugino (1492 A.D.) Image via Wikipedia

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #496

Simon Peter saith to him: "Lord, whither goest thou?" Jesus answered: "Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now: but thou shalt follow hereafter." Peter saith to him: "Why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thee." Jesus answered him: "Wilt thou lay down thy life for me? Amen, amen, I say to thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou deny me thrice." (John 13:36-38)

THE POPE IS THE SUPREME AND INFALLIBLE TEACHER OF FAITH: Our Lord foretold to St. Peter that he would deny Him, but at the same time He gave him assurance that his faith would not fail, and entrused him with the office of confirming his brethren in faith. As a matter of fact Peter's faith never did waver, for he did not cease to believe even when he lacked the courage to confess his faith. Our Blessed Lord destined him to be the foundation of His Church, and on that account prayed that his faith might ever be firm and untarnished, so that he might act as a prop to the faith of his brethren. By so doing our Lord Jesus Christ appointed St. Peter to be the supreme teacher of His Church in the true faith; and He gave to him moreover the special grace that his faith should never fail; in other words, that he should be infallible in the exercise of this office. How could Peter confirm his brethren in the true faith, unless he himself were preserved from error in matters of faith? His infallibility in the exercise of his office has, together with the office itself, descended from Peter to his successors, the Supreme Pontiffs of the Catholic Church. An infallible teacher who can maintain his brethren, his fellow-Christians, in the true faith, is as necessary to the Church now as it was in the days of St. Peter. The Roman See has always proved itself to be the guardian and protector of the true faith, by giving, in virtue of the divine office committed to it, unerring decisions in matters of dispute, and rejecting all false doctrines.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

Image via Wikipedia

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #495

Simon Peter saith to him: "Lord, whither goest thou?" Jesus answered: "Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now: but thou shalt follow hereafter." Peter saith to him: "Why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thee." Jesus answered him: "Wilt thou lay down thy life for me? Amen, amen, I say to thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou deny me thrice." (John 13:36-38)

ST. PETER'S SELF-CONFIDENCE: We have repeatedly had occasion to admire St. Peter's faith, and love of our Lord. Even in the story we have just read, the chief of the apostles evinced great love and great faith, declaring that he would never take scandal at anything Jesus did, and was ready to lay down his life for His sake. Peter seriously and honestly meant what he said, but he trusted too much in himself, overrated his own strength and, forgetting the weakness of his human nature, believed himself capable of remaining faithful to his Master under all circumstances, simple because he wished to do so. His will was good, but he was wanting in that humility which comes from a knowledge of one's own frailty. He ought to have thought and said: "With Thy help I will never fail;" but, instead of this, he put himself on a different level from the other apostles, and implied that, although they might very easily go astray, he never could! This high opinion of himself, and his undue self-confidence led him to the fall which will be related later. We should never forget that, without the assistance of God's grace, we can neither keep the commandments nor persevere in well-doing.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

St. Peter by Peter Rubens Image via Wikipedia

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #494

Simon Peter saith to him: "Lord, whither goest thou?" Jesus answered: "Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now: but thou shalt follow hereafter." Peter saith to him: "Why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thee." Jesus answered him: "Wilt thou lay down thy life for me? Amen, amen, I say to thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou deny me thrice." (John 13:36-38)

THE OMNISCIENCE OF JESUS: Our Lord exactly foretold both that Judas would betry Him, and that in the same night before the second cockcrow, St. Peter would deny Him three times, and that all the apostles would desert Him. Only the omniscient God can know beforehand what man, gifted with free-will, will do. St. Peter himself thought it quite impossible that he could deny his beloved Master, and yet our Lord foretold in detail all that would occur. This proves that our Blessed Lord was omniscient, or, in other words, that He is God.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #477

Before the festival day of the pasch, Jesus knowing that his hour was come, that he should pass out of this world to the Father: having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And when supper was done (the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray him), Knowing that the Father had given him all things into his hands and that he came from God and goeth to God, He riseth from supper and layeth aside his garments and, having taken a towel, girded himself. After that, he putteth water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. He cometh therefore to Simon Peter. And Peter saith to him: "Lord, dost thou wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him: "What I do, thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." Peter saith to him: "Thou shalt never wash my feet," Jesus answered him: "If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me." Simon Peter saith to him: "Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head." Jesus saith to him: "He that is washed needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean wholly. And you are clean, but not all." For he knew who he was that would betray him; therefore he said: "You are not all clean." Then after he had washed their feet and taken his garments, being set down again, he said to them: "Know you what I have done to you? You call me Master and Lord. And you say well: for so I am. If then I being your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also. Amen, amen, I say to you: The servant is not greater than his lord: neither is the apostle greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, you shall be blessed if you do them." (John 13:1-17)

VIRTUES SHOWN BY ST. PETER on this occasion. Humility. Love of our Lord. Obedience.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #473

And on the first day of the Azymes, the disciples came to Jesus, saying: "Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the pasch?" But Jesus said: "Go ye into the city to a certain man and say to him: 'The master saith, My time is near at hand. With thee I make the pasch with my disciples.' " And the disciples did as Jesus appointed to them: and they prepared the pasch. (Matt. 26: 17-19)

OMNISCIENCE OF OUR LORD: He knew beforehand that Peter and John would meet a man in the city, carrying a pitcher of water, who would go straight into the house where Jesus had arranged to eat the Pasch. He also saw into the heart of Judas, and knew that he was mediating His betrayal.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)