Saint of the Week: Peter

I need to get a little more personal with my saints.  Although Mondays' entries are designed to help me learn about new saints, just copying and pasting info from different websites doesn't mean I actually learn the information.  So, today I'll write briefly on one of my favorites - St. Peter.

Yep - that St. Peter - the one at the pearly gates, who was given the keys to the Kingdom, the first pope, the one upon whom Jesus built his Church.

I love St. Peter.  Aside from Jesus, Peter is the person from the Bible I love the most.  He got it wrong, constantly.  He was constantly interpreting things Jesus said incorrectly, he reacted the opposite of how Jesus "wanted" he denied Jesus three times and even during his redemption he couldn't raise himself up to Christ's level  - yet he was the one upon whom the Church was built.  He NEVER doubted that Jesus was the Christ. 

And that gives me hope.  Because I get it wrong all the time.  I misinterpret actions of others, I don't place my faith first in life, I forget to give thanks and praise to God, I sin everyday. Yet, if Peter is whom Jesus chose - well, then, I have a chance of being welcomed in to the Kingdom. 

I cannot adequately express how happy that makes me feel.  That hope balloons me up.  Recently I was reading the book, "Win it all" by Justin  Fatica, of the 'Hard as Nails' ministry.  It's a decent book, written for teens and has wonderful discussion questions and challenges for their age.

In it was an eye-opening passage, which once again, reminds me of how important language is.  Peter denies Christ three times after the agony in the garden, denying that he knows him exactly as Jesus had said he would.  After Christ's resurrection he goes to Peter and gives him a chance to redemption, asking Peter three times "Do you love me?"  Peter answers, "You know I love you." 

In the American English translation we lose so much of the meaning, because we only have one word, "love" to express our admiration for things as mundane as candy bars to the overwhelming love we should have for our Lord and Savior. 

In the original Greek (this is from the Gospel of John) Jesus asks with the word 'agape', which is the most intimate kind of love there is...not a romantic, sexual love, but an overwhelming intimacy - the kind we are all called to have with Christ.  So, Christ asks 'agape'? And Peter answer, 'phile', the love which means close friendship, brotherly love - a close bond, but not the extreme closeness of 'agape'. 

Jesus asks again, 'agape'?  Peter answers again, 'phile'.  Jesus asks a third time, but this time he recognizes where Peter is at and meets him at his level, using 'phile'.  Peter responds, 'phile'. Jesus MET Peter where he was capable of loving him. 

That exchange is so important to me, because I am broken, sinful, searching.  And though I yearn for agape, I know that realistically I can only offer phile at this time in my life.  So, if Christ was willing to meet Peter where he was at, I am confident he is willing to work with me as well so that one day, perhaps on that day of the Final Judgement, I can stand and answer agape.