Peter was to be entrusted with the keys of the Church, or rather, he
was entrusted with the keys of heaven; to him would be committed the
whole people of God. The Lord told him: “Whatever you bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven.”
Now Peter was inclined to be severe, so if he had also been
impeccable what forbearance would he have shown toward those he
instructed? His falling into sin was thus a providential grace to
teach him from experience to deal kindly with others.
Just think who it was whom God permitted to fall into sin—Peter
himself, the head of the apostles, the firm foundation, the
unbreakable rock, the most important member of the Church, the safe
harbor, the strong tower; Peter, who had said to Christ, “Even
if I have to die with you I will never deny you”; Peter, who
by divine revelation had confessed the truth: “You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Just now you said: “Even if I have to die with you,” and
now you deny him and say: “I do not know the man.” Oh
Peter, is this what you promised? You were not tortured or scourged;
at the words of a mere slip of a girl you took refuge in denial!
Again the girl said to him: “You too were with that man
yesterday.” Again he answered: “I have no idea what man
you mean.”
Who was it that spoke to you, causing you to make this denial? Not
some important person but a woman, a doorkeeper, an outcast, a
slave, someone of no account whatever. She spoke to you and you
answered with a denial.
What a strange thing—a girl, a prostitute, accosted Peter himself
and disturbed his faith! Peter, the pillar, the rampart, could not
bear the threat of a girl! She had but to speak and the pillar
swayed, the rampart itself was shaken!
A third time she repeated: “You too were with that man
yesterday,” but a third time he denied it. Finally Jesus
looked at him, reminding him of his previous assertion. Peter
understood, repented of his sin, and began to weep. Mercifully,
however, Jesus forgave him his sin, because he knew that Peter,
being a man, was subject to human frailty.
Now, as I said before, the reason God's plan permitted Peter to sin
was because he was to be entrusted with the whole people of God, and
sinlessness added to his severity might have made him unforgiving
toward his brothers and sisters. He fell into sin so that
remembering his own fault and the Lord's forgiveness, he also might
forgive others out of love for them.
This was God's providential dispensation.
He to whom the Church was to be entrusted, he, the pillar of the
churches, the harbor of faith, was allowed to sin; Peter, the
teacher of the world, was permitted to sin, so that having been
forgiven himself he would be merciful to others.
On Saints Peter and Elijah: PG 50, 727-728
John Chrysostom (c.347-407) was bom at Antioch and studied under Diodore of Tarsus, the leader of the Antiochene school of theology. After a period of great austerity as a hermit, he returned to Antioch where he was ordained deacon in 381 and priest in 386. From 386 to 397 it was his duty to preach in the principal church of the city, and his best homilies, which earned him the title “Chrysostomos” or “the golden-mouthed,” were preached at this time. In 397 Chrysostom became patriarch of Constantinople, where his efforts to reform the court, clergy, and people led to his exile in 404 and fmally to his death from the hardships imposed on him. Chrysostom stressed the divinity of Christ against the Arians and his full humanity against the Apollinarians, but he had no speculative bent. He was above all a pastor of souls, and was one of the most attractive personalities of the early Church.
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Commentaries on the Sunday Gospels
- Year A, pp. 118-119.
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