The Pope Attacked … and We Are Peter.

©2010, Randall A. Beeler

52 And Jesus said to the chief priests and magistrates of the temple and the ancients, that had come unto him: Have you come out, as it were against a thief, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was daily with you in the temple, you did not stretch forth your hands against me: but this is your hour and the power of darkness. 54 And apprehending him, they led him to the high priest's house. But Peter followed afar off. (Lk 22, DRE)

Praise God for this hour of darkness during Holy Week! Blessed be the Church Who is worthy to be persecuted like its Bridegroom, the Lamb Who Was Slain. Blessed be the Cross—for we the Church know that it is the unlikely instrument of God's Grace about to dawn on the world.

Like Saint Peter, let us follow afar off. Dare we deny our role in the Passion?

Yes, we the Church are both Saint Peter in denial and Saint Peter forgiven. Saint Peter the rock and Saint Peter a satan. We the Church are the Thief who rebukes Christ and the Thief whom Christ welcomes into Paradise.

We must never forget this our heritage. Blessed are we who are accused so bitterly by the world, for by such stripes, the world is being healed.

Yet, we are no heroes—merely unworthy servants carrying out our duties.

Papa Benedetto, Our Holy Father, models Saint Peter for us right now. Saint Peter, with all his foibles and failings, is blessed to be crucified like his Lord and Savior. But even at his own death, Saint Peter insists in following afar off—not in preparation to deny His Christ—but to deny that he was ever worthy of Christ's love.

When Saint Peter asks his Roman executioners to crucify him upside down, he does what we are all called to do: to see the world in its proper perspective as we die to ourselves. We must turn the wisdom of the world upside down to gracefully view the wisdom of God.

So let us turn this persecution on its head. Let us follow  afar off Pope Benedict. Let us stretch for our hands to receive our cross, for by Christ's Cross and Resurrection, He redeems the world.

18 Amen, amen, I say to you [Peter], When you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you would. But when you shall be old, you shall stretch forth your hands, and another shall gird you and lead you whither you would not. 19 And this he said, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him: Follow me. (Jn 21, DRE)