St Peter’s grievous fall had wounded Jesus more than all his other injuries. “And the Lord, turning, looked on Peter.” (Lk 22:61) It was a glance of mingled reproach and mercy, which instantly wrought his conversion.
Daily Jesus shows this same goodness towards numerous poor sinners. He looks mercifully on them as he did with the penitent King David when he cried out, “Look thou upon me, and have mercy on me” (Ps 51:1).
Terror had so completely possessed St Peter and blinded him to the extent of his sin. Jesus came to his rescue, and opened his eyes. Henceforth, his gratitude was fervent and constant.
If we recall our past sins, we will know how often grace has roused us from the sleep of death. Deep, then, ought to be our gratitude.
“Peter remembered the words Jesus had said: ‘Before the cock crows twice, thou shalt thrice deny me’.” (Mk 14:72; Mt 26:75) One look from Jesus wrought a sudden and wonderful change in the heart of the faithless disciple.
In an instant the darkness which surrounded his soul disappeared. He saw clearly the gravity of his sin.
He remembered all his Master’s forewarnings at the last Supper and in the Garden of Olives. His heart was filled, not with despair, but with deepest contrition. He was transformed into the model of a true penitent.
Grace indeed works wonders! Silently, it penetrates the soul, strengthens; and shows it the instability of creatures, the horror of sin, filling it with a deep, salutary contrition. It makes the sinner shed tears of grief, love, and joy; purifies the soul from unruly affections; disengages it from the world and draws it towards God.
“And going forth, he wept bitterly.” (Lk 22:62) The fall of St Peter had been grievous and public. His repentance was generous and fervent. Immediately, he fled from the place and the company which had occasioned his fall. Alone, he began to shed those bitter tears which may be said never ceased till his death.
He mourned over the humiliation of his fall, the thought of his ingratitude, the grief and pain he had given at the very moment his Divine Master was manifesting his love for him. Not only did our Lord pardon his penitent disciple, but gave back all the privileges which had been granted him before his fall.
If we, like St Peter, have been unfaithful, let us imitate him in his repentance. Recalling our past ingratitude and of God’s goodness to us should inspire us with deeper humility, more steadfast trust, and an unlimited generosity in works of charity. Thus, with God’s grace, we shall be able to bring good out of evil.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp115-7
Full of grace
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit; each tree is known by its own fruit. ... figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (cf Lk 6:43-9)
Jesus teaches us through this double comparison: of the tree giving forth good or bad fruits, and of the man speaking from the depth of his heart -- that nothing can substitute for sanctity. A man simply gives what is in him, no more and no less.
St Bede elaborates-- “The treasure of a soul is the same as the root of a tree. A person with a treasure of patience and charity in his soul produces beautiful fruits: he loves his neighbour and possesses qualities Jesus recommends; loves his enemies, does good to whoever hate him, blesses those who curse him; prays for the one who slanders him.
“But the man who has a source of evil in his soul does the exact opposite; he hates his friends, speaks badly of the one who loves him, and does all the other things condemned by the Lord.” (St Bede, “Commentary on St Luke’s Gospel”, 2:6)
The Holy Spirit filled Our Blessed Mother’s heart with graces. No life ever gave or will give forth such sweet fruit as Our Lady’s life has done except for Christ’s.
All graces come and keep coming to us through her; above all, Jesus, too the blessed fruit of her most pure womb. Her lips pronounced the greatest, most pleasing and tender praises of God.
At the Annunciation, “the messenger greets Mary as ‘full of grace’; he calls her thus as if it were her real name. He does not call her by her proper earthly name, Miryam (Mary), but by this new name -- ‘full of grace’.
What does this mean? Why does the archangel address the Virgin of Nazareth in this way?
“... the Gospel context, which mingles revelations and ancient promises, enables us to understand that among all the ‘spiritual blessings in Christ’ this is a special ‘blessing’. In the mystery of Christ she is present even ‘before the creation of the world’, as the one whom the Father ‘has chosen’ as Mother of his Son in the Incarnation. Furthermore, together with the Father, the Son has chosen her, entrusting her eternally to the Spirit of holiness.” (John Paul II, Encyclical, “Redemptoris Mater”, 25 March 1987, 8)
Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 4:607-8
Merciful Justice
God, who is always merciful even when he punishes, “put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him on sight” (Gen 4:15). He thus gave him a distinctive sign, not to condemn him to the hatred of others, but to protect and defend him from those wishing to kill him, even out of a desire to avenge Abel’s death.
Not even a murderer loses his personal dignity, and God himself pledges to guarantee this. And it is precisely here that the paradoxical mystery of the merciful justice of God is shown forth.
As St Ambrose writes: ‘God drove Cain out of his presence and sent him into exile far from his native land, so that he passed from a life of human kindness to one which was more akin to the rude existence of a wild beast. God, who preferred the correction rather than the death of a sinner, did not desire that a homicide be punished by the exaction of another act of homicide.’
Ref: Pope John Paul II, “Breakfast With the Pope”, 1995, 6
Mortification
“You don’t conquer yourself, you aren’t mortified, because you are proud. You lead a life of penance? Remember: pride can exist with penance.
“Furthemore: Your sorrow, after your falls, after your failures in generosity, is it really sorrow or is it the frustration of seeing yourself so small and weak?
“How far are you from Jesus if you are not humble ... even if new roses blossom evey day from your disciplines!” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 200)
• Apparition of Our Lady to Pope Honorius IV, for confirmation of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. — Balingham on Calend. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com); (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html; (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Apparition of Mary to Pope Honorius IV, confirming the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Carmelite history. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of Divine Providence. Cuassanio, Italy. 1856. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
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