Homily 27 March 2005 By Fr. Hathaway FSSP Mater Dei Latin Mass Community
Easter Sunday
On the Forgiveness of Peter
“Go, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee
there you shall meet Him as he told you.”
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St. Augustine would have us pay close attention to this message from
the angel for it appears that our Risen Lord will first meet His
apostles in Galilee… which is not the case. Scripture records six
appearances of the Risen Christ on Easter Sunday: to Mary, His mother,
(which we know by tradition); to Mary Magdalene (who mistook Him for
the gardener); to Mary, the mother of James, and Salome (who both
followed Mary); to Peter alone (Lk 24:34 and 1 Cor. 15:5); and to ten
apostles, Thomas being absent, (Jn 20:19). Therefore, when
we read, “goes before into Galilee” we should wonder.
St. Gregory the Great tells us “Galilee” means ‘passing-over.’
Christ has passed from death to life; now He beckons us to pass from
unbelief to belief, from vice to virtue. And we will meet the
Risen Christ in a heavenly Galilee when we pass from unbelief to
belief, from evil works to good works.
But perhaps we feel incapable or unworthy; maybe our Lent has ended
regretful of missed opportunities and with unconquered faults.
Let us be encouraged by the account of Peter.
“Go, tell His disciples and Peter…” Why was Peter singled out?
Some say it was because he was the chief of the apostles. While
this is true, it seems more probable our Lord called Him by name so
that He would not despair over his sin.
St. Gregory the Great says Peter would not have left for Galilee had
Christ not called him: “Had the angel not mentioned him by name who had
denied the Master he would not have dared to come into the midst of the
disciples. He is therefore invited by name, so that he shall not
despair of his denial.”
Recall that three times Peter denied His Savior. The first time a
maid says to Peter, as he warmed himself by the fire, “Thou also was
with Jesus of Galilee.” He responds before all, “I do not
know what thou art saying.” Peter hurries for the gatehouse and
another maid says, “This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
This time Peter responds with an oath, “I do not know the man!”
Finally, sometime later, as Peter looks distantly upon the suffering
Christ, some bystanders accuse Peter, “Surely, thou art one of them,
for even thy speech betrays thee.” And Peter, cursing and
swearing, says, “I do not know this man you are talking about.”
After Peter’s third denial, the blessed Lord turns and looks upon him
(Lk 22:61) as one truly rejected… then the cocked crows, and Peter
recalls the words of the Savior, “Before a cock crows, thou wilt deny
Me three times.” And Peter leaves the scene weeping bitterly. (Mt
26:75)
Indeed, Peter’s state was a pitiable one.
But now he hears the words of the angel and brought by the women, “Go
tell his disciples and Peter that He goes before you into
Galilee…” Peter’s hope is enkindled. “Can my Master really
have called for me? Perhaps my friendship is not beyond
repair!”
Peter and John run to the sepulcher. They see the opened tomb,
the burial cloths… but not the Risen Savior… at least not then.
Finally, when the Risen Christ meets His disciples in Galilee, our
Blessed Lord exchanges those words with Peter familiar to us all,
“Peter does thou love Me more than these?” “Feed My
lambs.”; “Peter does thou love Me?” “Feed My lambs.”
“Peter does thou love Me.?” “Feed My sheep.” By this
exchange Peter is established in his primacy over the Church but he
also repairs for his three denials of the Savior.
My dear friends in the Risen Christ let us be comforted by the peace of
Easter. Many times we too, perhaps, have denied our Savior; maybe
we have yet to finally break with certain cursing and swearing denials;
maybe we wonder whether or not God wants us as His friends at all.
Sometimes I am asked about sins against the Holy Ghost… sins which can
never be forgiven. Fr. Hardon mentions these as, “Despair of
one’s salvation, envy of another’s spiritual good, opposing known
truths of the faith, obstinacy in sin, presumption of God’s mercy, and
final impenitence.” These sins are unpardonable, he says,
“Because those who sin in this way, resisting God’s grace, do not wish
to repent.”
Sometimes it happens that certain souls who love God yet deny Him by
repeated and serious sin think they have committed a sin against the
Holy Ghost… and cannot be pardoned. A lesson of Easter, of
Peter’s forgiveness, should keep us from this snare.
“Go, tell the disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee;
there you shall see Him as He told you.” Although Peter may
have denied Jesus, Jesus (who reads hearts) did not deny him. If
we should ever sin so much as to question our redemption, let us indeed
weep bitter tears of repentance, but let us also hear in the name
“Peter” our own name. “Go, tell his disciples and Harry…” ,
“Go, tell his disciples and Sue that He goes before you into Galilee,
there you shall see Him as He told you.”
A man who sins against the Holy Ghost says, “I am too bad, God cannot
save me.” Or, “I am too bad, God will not save me.” This is
blasphemy. Is God not almighty enough to strengthen us against
sin? Does God lack mercy so as to reject our
repentance? No. God is almighty and can do all things
for the soul who wants salvation; God is all merciful to forgive all
who are contrite of heart. “If you hate your sin; if you repent
of ever having offended the good God; if you yet desire His friendship,
then you have not sinned against the Holy Ghost.
Go, therefore, to the Sacraments of the Church: if you have committed
serious sin, go to Confession and find there a welcoming Savior and
remedy for your ills; if you are not aware of a serious sin, receive
the Holy Eucharist as often as you can, reminding yourself it is Food
not poison. If we do what we can, God will not fail on His end of
the bargain to meet you in Galilee.
And one day, by the merits of our Risen Lord, may we all hear the
sweetest words we shall ever hear, “Well done, good and faithful
servant, enter into the joy of thy Risen Lord.”