St Mark Chapter XIV : Verses 66-72
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| Peter's denial. J-J Tissot |
[67] And when she had seen Peter warming himself, looking on him she saith: Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.
[68] But he denied, saying: I neither know nor understand what thou sayest. And he went forth before the court; and the cock crew.
[69] And again a maidservant seeing him, began to say to the standers by: This is one of them.
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| And he began to weep. J-J Tissot. |
[71] But he began to curse and to swear, saying; I know not this man of whom you speak.
[72] And immediately the cock crew again. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said unto him: Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt thrice deny me. And he began to weep.
[66] Et cum esset Petrus in atrio deorsum, venit una ex ancillis summi sacerdotis : [67] et cum vidisset Petrum calefacientem se, aspiciens illum, ait : Et tu cum Jesu Nazareno eras. [68] At ille negavit, dicens : Neque scio, neque novi quid dicas. Et exiit foras ante atrium, et gallus cantavit. [69] Rursus autem cum vidisset illum ancilla, cœpit dicere circumstantibus : Quia hic ex illis est. [70] At ille iterum negavit. Et post pusillum rursus qui astabant, dicebant Petro : Vere ex illis es : nam et Galilaeus es. [71] Ille autem cœpit anathematizare et jurare : Quia nescio hominem istum, quem dicitis. [72] Et statim gallus iterum cantavit. Et recordatus est Petrus verbi, quod dixerat ei Jesus : Priusquam gallus cantet bis, ter me negabis. Et cœpit flere.
Notes
66. in the court below. This would refer to the quadrangle, around which ran a covered cloister. The apartments opened on to this cloister. As Jerusalem was built on the slopes of mountains, the court would often be lower than the apartments, and communicate with them by flights of steps. The buildings stood on a series of terraces, and near the Tyropean valley, the descent was particularly rapid. St John relates how St Peter had obtained admission to the court (see St John xviii. 16). The apartments were often screened off with curtains from the covered cloister. The windows all looked on to the court.
67. she had seen Peter warming himself. The maid-servant had seen him sitting in the light (St Luke xxii. 56).
looking on him : literally, earnestly beholding him. Possibly it was the portress who had admitted him.
68. he denied : saying I am not , I neither know nor understand , etc. An evasive form of denial. With each interrogation Peter’s fear increased. Hence the gradation —
(1) The simple denial.(2) Denial confirmed by an oath.(3) Denial with cursing and swearing.
As his protestations of fidelity had increased in vehemence, so now his denials become each time more emphatic. In order to reconcile the different accounts given in the four gospels, we must remember that the three denials were not replies to three distinct interrogations separated by an interval, but three occasions when the attention of the servants and bystanders was drawn to St Peter, and he was questioned each time by more than one person. This would naturally have occurred. Sometimes those who recognised St Peter questioned him, at other times they spoke of him to the bystanders, who in their turn addressed St Peter.
before the court , — i.e. into the porch.
the cock crew. St Mark alone notes the first cock- crowing.
72. he began to weep. Two circumstances brought St Peter to recognise his terrible fall — (1) He heard the cock crow, and remembered our Lord’s solemn warning. (2) The Lord, turning, looked on Peter. This reproachful, loving look of Christ, accompanied with an interior grace of repentance, touched St Peter to the quick, and going forth from the company where he had been led into sin, he wept bitterly for his fault, not only immediately after, but during his whole lifetime. St Peter is an example of perfect contrition, which, arising from the love of God, obtains remission even of mortal sin. Still, when conscious of mortal sin, the Catholic must not trust to perfect contrition to efface his fault, since he cannot know for certain whether his contrition be really perfect. Therefore the Church enjoins that all who have sinned mortally should have recourse to the Sacrament of Penance in order to obtain the remission of their sin. This confession of mortal sin must at least be made with attrition in order to obtain pardon. Attrition is sorrow for sin, arising more from fear of God than from love of Him. In perfect contrition, love predominates as its effective cause. St Peter, when penitent, also teaches us to avoid the occasions of sin, since going forth he wept bitterly.
Additional Notes
I. Causes of St Peter’s Denial.
(1) Remote.
(a) St Peter did not heed Christ’s warning.(b) He presumed on his own strength of character.(c) His false conception of the Messiah caused him to be scandalized when he saw his Master a prisoner.(d) He neglected to “ watch and pray ” in Gethsemani.(e) He deserted his Master.
(2) Proximate.
(a) He followed “ afar off.”(b) He joined in the company of our Lord’s foes.(c) He feared for his own safety.
II. The Denials as given by the four Evangelists (St Matt, xxvi., St Mark xiv., St Luke xxii., St John xviii.). (The small figures by the quotation marks refer to the first, second, third, and fourth gospels respectively.)
First Denial.
(1) Time. When he “ sat with the servants at the fire and warmed himself.” 2
(2) Place. In “ the court below,” 2 “ in the midst of the hall.” 3
(3) St Peter's interlocutors. When a certain serving-maid had seen St Peter “ sitting at the light and had earnestly beheld him, she said,3 Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean.” 1
“ Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.” 2
“ This man also was with him.” 3
“ Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples ? ” 4
(4) His denials. “ He denied before them all saying, I know not what thou sayest.” 1
“ I neither know nor understand what thou sayest.” 2
“ And he went forth before the court and the cock crew.” 2
“ Woman, I know him not.” 3
“ I am not.” 4
Second Denial.
(1) Time. “ After a little while.” 3
(2) Place. “ As he went out of the gate.” 1 “ As he went forth
before the court.” As lie “ was standing and warming himself.” 4
(3) Peter's interlocutors. Another maid saw him, and she said to them that were there : “ This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 1
“ This is one of them.” 2 A man said, “ Thou also art one of them.”3
Several said, “ Art not thou also one of his disciples ? ” 4
(4) His denials . “ Again he denied with an oath : ” 1 “I know not
the man.” 1
“ 0 man, I am not.” 3 “I am not.” 4
Third Denial.
(1) Time. “ After the space, as it were, of one hour.” 3
(2) Place. Either in the court or the porch.
(3) St Peter's interlocutors. “ They came that stood by and said to Peter : Surely thou also art one of them, for even thy speech doth discover thee.” 4
“ Surely thou art one of them, for thou art also a Galilean.” 2
a man affirmed : “ of a truth this man was also with him, for he is also a Galilean.”3
“A kinsman of Malchus ” said, “Did I not see thee in the garden with him ? ” 4
(4) His denials. “ Then he began to curse and to swear 1 that he knew not the man.” 1
“ I know not the man of whom you speak.” 2
“ Man, I know not what thou sayest.” 3
“ Again therefore Peter denied.” 4
Immediately as he was yet speaking 3 the cock crew again.2 “ And the Lord turning looked on Peter,” 3 “ and Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said unto him,2 and going forth he wept bitterly.” 1
Lessons we may learn from St Peter’s Denials.
(a) To distrust ourselves and to look to God for strength.
(b) To have compassion on those who sin grievously.
(c) To watch and pray against temptation.
(c) To repent sincerely of our faults.
(e) To have confidence in the mercy of God.
(f) To avoid the occasions of sin.
(g) To obey our spiritual superiors because they are placed over us by God, and not merely on account of their natural talents or virtues. St Peter, in spite of his sin, was placed over the other apostles, as the Vicar of Christ.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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