The Apostle Peter

Peter is the disciple of Jesus I most admire. [1]  He wore his heart on his sleeve [2] and never deceived.  He was incapable of that.  Even though he was not perfect (he denied Jesus three times) [3], he was a self-made man who lived a life without relying on others. [4]  He was confident of his abilities and was proud of his occupation even though he was not a rich man.  As tough as he was, he was child-like deep down: when he saw Jesus walking on water he wanted to try it right away [5], just like a boy seeing his father doing something new and wanting to copy exactly what he is doing.

Jesus' first disciple, Peter [6],  is "the Rock" on which Jesus chose to build his Church: tough, forceful, transparent, direct yet retains all the purity of innocence of a child.

Those who succeeded Peter had not measured up, not the current pope or even the erudite Benedict XVI.  San Francesco d'Assisi is the only other one after Saint Peter who was chosen to rebuild the Church.  After his death in 1226, the Church is one again in disrepair.  Who is the next chosen one capable to rebuild the Church?  I do not see him (Him) yet.



[1] When I was young, Peter was the apostle I most feared.  I had the image of him as rough man, unrefined, perhaps even a brute.  As a fisherman, he would have hands with tough callouses from handling fishing nets year in and year out, and his face would be weathered and look rubbery.  In so many ways, he was in my mind too crude for my liking.  I also was scared that he would slice off my ear when I disobeyed just as he had cut off the ear of the servant who was with a group of soldiers to arrest Jesus.  See http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+18%3A1-10&version=NIV  But that has changed, when I do not know, but I have come to like Peter and I am liking him more and more.
[2] See http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JOHN+21%3A20-23&version=NIV:

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”)  When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

[3] See http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+14%3A66-72&version=NIV:

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by.  When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.
“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.
But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.
When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” Again he denied it.
After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”
He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.” Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

[4] I could not picture Peter ever begging for necessities or relying on others (or the government ) for handouts.
[5] See http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+14%3A25-31&version=NIV:

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

 [6] See http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+5%3A1-11&version=NIV:

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.  He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,  and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.