Peter wept bitterly

  After denying Jesus, Peter wept bitterly.

Peter, however, does not weep because he has recognized his misery: To cry about ourselves can only lead us to exasperate our pride and increase our dismay. The Apostle would have been inconsolable if he had only considered his sin, but the pain in his chest comes from the pain he caused to Jesus and from the evil his example can make to other disciples when they learn that his chief has  succumbed.

Our repentance must not consist in damning ourselves, but regretting not having returned the love Jesus has for us. We must  deplore the bad example we give our brothers as well as the damage we cause to the Church as a result.



   Després d'haver negat a Jesús, Pere va plorar amargament.

Pere, però, no plora perquè ha reconegut la seva misèria: plorar sobre un mateix només condueix a exasperar  el nostre orgull o augmentar el nostre descoratjament; l'Apòstol hauria quedat inconsolable si només hagués considerat el seu pecat, però el dolor que sent al pit prové del dolor causat a Jesús i del mal que el seu exemple pugui fer als altres deixebles en saber que el seu Cap ha cedit.

El nostre penediment no ha de consistir en maldir sobre nosaltres mateixos, sinó en doldre'ns de no haver correspost a l'amor que Jesús ens té. Hem de deplorar el mal exemple que donem als nostres germans i el perjudici que causem a l'Església.

(Georges Chevrot: Simón Pedro, p.268, Patmos)