And Peter going out, wept bitterly

St Luke Chapter XXII : Verses 54-62

Contents

• Luke xxii. Verses 54-62.  Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text & Latin text (Vulgate)
• Douay-Rheims 1582 text
• Annotations based on the Catena Aurea of St Thomas

Luke xxii. Verses 54-62.

And Peter going out, wept bitterly.
J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

54 And apprehending him, they led him to the high priest's house. But Peter followed afar off.

Comprehendentes autem eum, duxerunt ad domum principis sacerdotum : Petrus vero sequebatur a longe.

55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were sitting about it, Peter was in the midst of them.

Accenso autem igne in medio atrii et circumsedentibus illis, erat Petrus in medio eorum.

56 Whom when a certain servant maid had seen sitting at the light, and had earnestly beheld him, she said: This man also was with him.

Quem cum vidisset ancilla quaedam sedentem ad lumen, et eum fuisset intuita, dixit : Et hic cum illo erat.

57 But he denied him, saying: Woman, I know him not.

At ille negavit eum, dicens : Mulier, non novi illum.

58 And after a little while, another seeing him, said: Thou also art one of them. But Peter said: O man, I am not.

Et post pusillum alius videns eum, dixit : Et tu de illis es. Petrus vero ait : O homo, non sum.

59 And after the space, as it were of one hour, another certain man affirmed, saying: Of a truth, this man was also with him; for he is also a Galilean.

Et intervallo facto quasi horæ unius, alius quidam affirmabat, dicens : Vere et hic cum illo erat : nam et Galilaeus est.

60 And Peter said: Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, as he was yet speaking, the cock crew.

Et ait Petrus : Homo, nescio quid dicis. Et continuo, adhuc illo loquente, cantavit gallus.

61 And the Lord turning looked on Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, as he had said: Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

Et conversus Dominus respexit Petrum, et recordatus est Petrus verbi Domini, sicut dixerat : Quia priusquam gallus cantet, ter me negabis.

62 And Peter going out, wept bitterly.

Et egressus foras Petrus flevit amare.

Douay-Rheims : 1582 text

54. And apprehending him, they led him to the high Prieſts house: but Peter followed a farre off.

55. And a fire being kindled in the middes of the court, & they ſitting about it, Peter was in the middes of them.
56. Whom when a certaine wench ſaw sitting at the light, and had beheld him, ſhe ſaid: This fellow alſo was with him.
57. But he denied him, ſaying: Woman, I know him not.
58. And after a while another man ſeeing him, said: And thou art of them. But Peter ſaid: O man I am not.
59. And after the ſpace as it were one houre, a certaine other man affirmed, ſaying: Verily this fellow also was with him: for he is also a Galilæan.
60. And Peter ſaid: Man I know not what thou ſayeſt. And incontinent as he was yet ſpeaking, the cocke crew.
61. And our Lord turning looked on Peter. And Peter remembred the word of our Lord, as he had ſaid: That before the cocke crow thou ſhalt thriſe denie me.
62. And Peter going forth a doores, wept bitterly.

 

Annotations

    54. And apprehending him, they led him to the high priest's house.  BEDE. Now the Chief Priest means Caiaphas, who according to John was High Priest that year.

    AUGUSTINE. But first He was led to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, as John says, then to Caiaphas, as Matthew says, but Mark and Luke do not give the name of the High Priest.

    CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. 83. in Matt.) It is therefore said, to the high priest's house, that nothing whatever might be done without the consent of the chief of the Priests. For thither had they all assembled waiting for Christ. 

    But Peter followed afar off. Now the great zeal of Peter is manifested in his not flying when he saw all the others doing so.

    AMBROSE. Rightly he followed afar off, soon about to deny, for he could never have denied if he had clung close to Christ. But herein must he be revered, that he forsook not our Lord, even though he was afraid. Fear is the effect of nature, solicitude of tender affection.

    BEDE. But that when our Lord was going to His Passion, Peter followed afar off represents the Church about to follow indeed, that is, to imitate our Lord’s Passion, but in a far different manner, for the Church suffers for herself, our Lord suffered for the Church.

    55. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were sitting about it, Peter was in the midst of them. AMBROSE. And by this time there was a fire burning in the house of the High Priest and Peter came to warm himself, because his Lord being taken prisoner, the heart of his soul had been chilled in him.

    PSEUDO-AUGUSTINE. (App. Serm. 79.) For to Peter were delivered the keys of the kingdom of heaven, to him were entrusted an innumerable multitude of people, who were wrapped up in sin. But Peter was somewhat too vehement, as the cutting off the ear of the High Priest’s servant betokens. If he then who was so stern and so severe had obtained the gift of not sinning, what pardon would he have given to the people committed to him? Therefore Divine Providence suffers him first to be holden of sin, that by the consciousness of his own fall he might soften his too harsh judgment towards sinners. When he wished to warm himself at the fire, a maid came to him, of whom it follows, But a certain maid beheld him, &c.

    56.  Whom when a certain servant maid had seen sitting at the light, and had earnestly beheld him, she said: This man also was with him. AMBROSE. What meaneth it, that a maid is the first to betray Peter, whereas surely men ought the more easily to have recognised him, save that that sex should be plainly implicated in our Lord’s murder, in order that it might also be redeemed by His Passion? 

     57. But he denied him, saying: Woman, I know him not.  But Peter when discovered denies, for better that Peter should have denied, than our Lord’s word should have failed.

    AUGUSTINE. (ut sup.) What ails thee, Peter, thy voice is suddenly changed? That mouth full of faith and love, is turned to hatred and unbelief. Not yet awhile is the scourge applied, not yet the instruments of torture. Thy interrogator is no one of authority, who might cause alarm to the confessor. The mere voice of a woman asks the question, and she perhaps not about to divulge thy confession, nor yet a woman, but a door-keeper, a mean slave.

    AMBROSE. Peter denied, because he promised rashly. He does not deny on the mount, nor in the temple, nor in his own house, but in the judgment-hall of the Jews. There he denies where Jesus was bound, where truth is not. And denying Him he says, I know him not. It were presumptuous to say that he knew Him whom the human mind can not grasp. For no one knoweth the Son but the Father. (Matt. xi.17). 

    58. And after a little while, another seeing him, said: Thou also art one of them. But Peter said: O man, I am not. Again, a second time he denies Christ; for it follows, And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou wert also one of them.

    AUGUSTINE. (de Con. Ev. lib. iii. c. 6.) And it is supposed that in the second denial he was addressed by two persons, namely, by the maid whom Matthew and Mark mention, and by another whom Luke speaks of. With respect then to what Luke here relates, And after a little while, &c. Peter had already gone out of the gate, and the cock had crowed the first time, as Mark says; and now he had returned, that, as John says, he might again deny standing by the fire.

    AMBROSE. For he preferred to deny himself rather than Christ, or because he seemed to deny being of the company of Christ, he truly denied himself.

    BEDE. In this denial then of Peter we affirm that not only is Christ denied by him who says that He is not Christ, but by him also, who, being a Christian, says he is not.

    59. And after the space, as it were of one hour, another certain man affirmed, saying: Of a truth, this man was also with him; for he is also a Galilean. AUGUSTINE. (de Con. Ev. ut sup.) What Matthew and Mark call after a little while, Luke explains by saying, after the space, as it were of one hour; but with regard to the space of time, John says nothing. Likewise when Matthew and Mark record not in the singular but in the plural number those who conversed with Peter, while Luke and John speak of one, we may easily suppose either that Matthew and Mark used the plural for the singular by a common form of speech, or that one person in particular addressed Peter, as being the one who had seen him, and that others trusting to his credit joined in pressing him. But now as to the words which Matthew asserts were said to Peter himself, Truly thou art one of them, for thy speech bewrayeth thee; as also those which to the same Peter John declared to have been said, Did not I see thee in the garden? whereas Mark and Luke state that they spoke to one another concerning Peter; we either believe that they held the right opinion who say that they were really addressed to Peter; (for what was said concerning him in his presence amounts to the same as if it had been said to him;) or that they were said in both ways, and that some of the Evangelists related them one way, some the other.

    BEDE. But he adds, for he is also a Galilean; not that the Galilæans spoke a different language from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who indeed were Hebrews, but that each separate province and country having its own peculiarities could not avoid a vernacular tone of speech. 

    60. And Peter said: Man, I know not what thou sayest. AMBROSE. That is, I know not your blasphemies. But we make excuse for him. He did not excuse himself. For an involved answer is not sufficient for our confessing Jesus, but an open confession is required. And therefore Peter is not represented to have answered this deliberately, for he afterwards recollected himself, and wept.

    61. And the Lord turning looked on Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, as he had said: Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. BEDE. Holy Scripture is often wont to mark the character of certain events by the nature of the times in which they take place. Hence Peter who sinned at midnight repented at cock-crow; for it follows, And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. The error he committed in the darkness of forgetfulness, he corrected by the remembrance of the true light.

    AUGUSTINE. (ut sup.) The cock-crow we understand to have been after the third denial of Peter, as Mark has expressed it.

    BEDE. This cock must, I think, be understood mystically as some great Teacher, who rouses the listless and sleepy, saying, Awake, ye righteous, and sin not.

     CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. 83. in Joan.) Marvel now at the case of the Master, who though He was a prisoner, had exercised much forethought for His disciple, whom by a look He brought to Himself, and provoked to tears; for it follows, And the Lord turning looked on Peter.

    AUGUSTINE. (ut sup.) How we should understand this, requires some careful consideration; for Matthew says, Peter was sitting without in the hall, which he would not have said unless the transaction relating to our Lord were passing within. Likewise also, where Mark said, And as Peter was beneath in the hall, he shews that the things he had been speaking of took place not only within but in the upper part. How then did our Lord look upon Peter? not with His bodily face, since Peter was without in the hall among those who were warming themselves, while these things were going on in the inner part of the house. Wherefore, that looking upon Peter seems to me to have been done in a divine manner. And as it was said, Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God. Enlighten my eyes that I never sleep in death: (Ps. xii. 4.) and, Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for thy mercy's sake, (Ps. vi. 5.) so I think the expression here used, And the Lord turning looked on Peter.

    BEDE. For to look upon him is to have compassion, seeing that not only while penance is being practised, but that it may be practised, the mercy of God is necessary.

    62. And Peter going out, wept bitterly. AMBROSE. Lastly, those whom Jesus looks upon weep for their sins. Hence it follows, And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, as he had said: Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

    And Peter going out, wept bitterly. Why did he weep? Because he sinned as man. I read of his tears, I do not read of his confession. Tears wash away an offence which it is shame to confess in words. The first and second time he denied and wept not, for as yet our Lord had not looked upon him. He denied the third time, Jesus looked upon him, and he wept bitterly. So then if thou wilt obtain pardon, wash away thy guilt in tears.

    CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. Now Peter did not dare to weep openly, lest he should be detected by his tears, but he went out and wept. He wept not because of punishment, but because he denied his beloved Lord, which was more galling than any punishment.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.