Here, in the third week of Easter, the Church continues to unpack the mystery of the Resurrection. The story of the Resurrection cannot be told without the foundation of the Church as part of the Resurrection mystery. And the foundation of the Church cannot be understood without understanding the role of Peter.
Few topics create divisions for Christians like the role of St. Peter. Disputes over the role of Peter and his successors in the Church have resulted in centuries of division among Christians, like Protestants, and before them, the Greek Orthodox. Roman Catholics and many others claim the primacy of Peter and his successors.
Let’s take a closer look at the Gospels and comments on Peter. Simon Peter was among the first four disciples called by Jesus. At that time he was known as Simon, and Andrew was his brother. James and John, the sons of Zebedee were also fishermen with Simon and Andrew. Simon left everything to follow Jesus after Jesus told him, I will make you fishers of men.
John later wrote the Gospel accounts and often stressed the primacy of Simon Peter. God sometimes gave new names to his representatives when he gave them special mission. Jesus never gave new names to any of his disciples, except Simon. At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked the twelve, “Who do people say that I am? Simon responded with the most insight and authority, saying,
You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
From this point on he was referred to as “Cephas”, rock, Petrus, Peter, in English, Pedro in Spanish. Jesus appointed Simon to become the “Rock” for His Church. That was Simon’s mission, to be the Rock. It wasn’t as much a name as a job description.
Jesus then said to Simon Peter,
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Rock and Keys to Heaven. Jesus was establishing his Church, building his Church upon Rock, and giving Simon Peter and his Apostles authority over sin and the power of forgiveness of sin. Rock, foundation and authority over sin, the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.
We know from the following scriptures of Jesus Passion and Crucifixion that Simon Peter took a while to understand what was happening and what was expected from him. It was Simon Peter who to took a sword to the Garden of Gesthemani and cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. Jesus told Simon Peter to put his sword away and performed perhaps his last miracle before his arrest when he healed the servant’s ear.
That evening Simon Peter would run away from Jesus, and later deny Jesus three times. Simon Peter had vigorously argued in front of the other disciples that he would ever deny Jesus. But that night he denied him three times.
It took a while for Simon to become “Peter”. Simon’s conversion into “Peter” involved several painful lessons and personal conversions. Simon Peter was greatly ashamed of himself, while at the same time knowing who Jesus was and loving him deeply.
That background is useful to understand today’s Gospel.
Peter had denied Jesus three times when the cock crowed, as Jesus had foretold. Jesus had scolded Peter, telling him, “Get the behind me Satan”, when Peter tried to direct Jesus away from his destiny with death in Jerusalem. Now Jesus had died and been buried. Peter had turned his back on his friend and run away, abandoning Jesus.
Peter was a witness to Jesus’ resurrection, but still he mourned and struggled, ashamed of his own betrayal. This was the situation when the Disciples returned to the Sea of Galilee after the Resurrection. And Peter returned to fishing. And Peter caught nothing that night, just as had happened when he first came to know Jesus.
Remember that Simon had said to Jesus, when he first met him, “We have fished all night and caught nothing.” But Jesus told him that day to put the net out again and he caught a great number of fish. Jesus told him he would become a fisher of men, saying, “Follow me.”
And here again, Simon Peter fished all night but caught nothing. And, again, Jesus told Peter to cast the net again, and they caught a great number of fish. It was then that John told Peter, “It is the Lord” on the shore. And impetuous Peter jumped into the water and swam to Jesus.
Jesus had forgiven Peter, but Peter had not forgiven himself.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to Simon Peter a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
Jesus said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time,
“Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”
Jesus had a plan for Simon Peter, and Peter had been forgiven. We know that Simon was becoming Peter. In that first reading we see Peter teaching in the Temple as Jesus had done and confronted by the authorities as Jesus had been. By this time Peter was fearless. Simon had become Peter and was leading the Church.
We are all being called to surrender to Jesus, even to seek forgiveness and to trust the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation. We are called to overcome our shame and to witness to Jesus and follow him. Peter leads the way, despite his own imperfections. Peter is not only the first among the Apostles, he holds the Keys of Heaven, as Jesus instructed. Trust the words of Jesus and Holy Scriptures. Trust the Apostolic Church, led by the successors of St. Peter. Because of Peter we have Jesus present in the Sacraments of the Church. Without Peter we have no bishops and no priesthood, and no sacraments.