Meditation On The Passion: Verily Thou Also Art A Galilaean, And Thy Speech Doth Make Thee Manifest

DUCCIO di Buoninsegna 
Christ before Annas and Peter Denying Jesus 
1308-11

And the space as it were of an hour being past, another affirmed, saying: Verily and this man was with him; for he also is a Galilaean: The they said unto him: Whether art thou one of his Disciples? he denied and said I am not, and they came which stood by, and said: Verily thou also art a Galilaean, and thy speech doth make thee manifest: Then said one of the Servants of the High Priest to him, his cousin whose Ear Peter had cut off: Did not I see thee in the Garden with him? Then he began to curse, to detest, and swear, for I know not this man of whom yes speak: and forthwith as he was yet speaking the Cock crowed again: And our Lord turned, and beheld Peter: And Peter remembered himself of the word of our Lord, as he had said, that before the Cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrive, and Peter going out of the doors wept bitterly.

Consider first, that when peter was come again to the fire, he began to speak more freely with the servants, to the end that he might take away all suspicion from himself: For by his speech he was judged to be a Galilaean. Thou therefore who art the servant of Christ take heed of familiarity with the wicked. Let thy communication be of Heavenly things, as thou mayest receive the Apostles speeches were in the Acts of the Apostles, and by their Epistles: For he which is delighted with the vine speeches of secular men, will easily be drawn to imitate their manners, and to be warmed with their fire, and intrepid with their delights.

Secondly, Peter was known by his speech to be the Disciple of Christ, and a Galilaean. Do thou likewise so govern thyself, that all men even by thy outward conversation may know thee to be the follower of Christ, and a Galilaean, that is, one flying from the worldly to a spiritual life, and aspiring to Heaven.

Consider thirdly the benignity of Christ towards his servants. He being oppressed with so many miseries, did as it were forget himself, and take care of his Disciples: He restrained him from sinning any deeper, and cause him after his third denial to stay, beholding him, not with the eyes of the body (for that he could not do,) being in an upper chamber, and compassed round about with officers) but turning to him with the inward beams of his mercy; with which he touched his heart, illuminated and mollified it. For the beholding of Christ doth illuminate the Conscience, that sins may be known, even as the beams of the Sun do lighten a Chamber.

Consider fourthly the order of his Conversion: First the Cock crowed: Secondly our Lord beheld him: Thirdly Peter remembered the word of Jesus; Fourthly he went forth: Fifty he wept bitterly: If Christ look not upon thee, the Cock crows in vain. Do thou therefore give ear unto the Preachers and Admonishers, as unto Cocks; and pray that our Lord will turn unto thee. Observe the words which thou hearest: Fly all occasions of evil, and do Penance. Here thou being a most grievous sinner mayest have great hop of pardon, seeing that the mercy of our Lord gave so free pardon for this grievous sin, that Christ never objected it unto Peter. But thou who hast offended with Peter, go not about to excuse thyself with Adam, but weep with Peter, who (as St. Clement witnesseth) did all his whole life time after the first crowing of the Cock rise up to his prayers, and slept no more that night.

Fr. Francis Costerus S.J. 1616

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