ACTS OF DENIAL

 A MESSAGE FOR PALM SUNDAY

One of the most noteworthy aspects of the first Holy Week is the behavior of the Twelve Apostles.  None of them acted perfectly, and some of them actually behaved quite wickedly.  We have the example of our Lord’s three favorites, Peter, James and John whom he took into Gethsamane to comfort him in his Agony in that garden.  Instead of loyally praying and being there in their Saviour’s hour of need, they lay down and fell asleep.  What kind of comfort was that?  And when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, their reaction was far from what our Lord wanted.  Peter cut off the ear of the High Priests’ servant, resorting to violence to protect the Messiah.  Good intentions perhaps, but again, far from the will of God.  Meanwhile, John ran away, leaving his beloved Master to his fate.

Later that night, St. Peter had the courage to go to the Praetorium where the soldiers had taken Jesus and where they were already abusing him with their mockery and violence.  Peter’s courage failed him, however, when he was questioned by passers-by who thought they recognized him as one of our Lord’s companions.  Three times he denied our Lord, three times in succession he committed the mortal sin of betraying the Son of God.  And this was the man our Lord would choose to be the first Pope of his Church!

Meanwhile, the other apostles didn’t even have Peter’s courage to follow our Lord to his prison.  They were devastated and remained hidden in the room where our Lord had celebrated his Last Supper and had ordained them as priests.  Here they wallowed in fear and depression while countless and unspeakable acts of torture and humiliation were committed against their Lord and Saviour.  And again, these were to be the first bishops of the Church!

Peter was redeemed by his repentance and heartfelt sorrow for having offended the Lord he loved so well.  John was redeemed by his later courage as he followed our Lord to the cross of Calvary, standing beneath his crucified Saviour, comforting Jesus’ mother in reparation for his earlier failure in Gethsemane to comfort Jesus himself.  The other apostles were slower in their return to grace, and would not regain their faith until the appearances of our Lord after his Resurrection.  The faith of St. Thomas—doubting Thomas—would take even more proof.

Whatever the faults of the Twelve Apostles, they would nearly all end up as saints.  The descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost provided them with the gifts they needed to become saints.  When faced with martyrdom they gladly accepted their sufferings and followed their Master to glory.  With one exception of course.  One of those apostles failed our Lord completely, betraying him to the Sanhedrin for thirty pieces of silver.  Judas Iscariot was a traitor, but even he could have repented and rejoined the other apostles in humility.  He chose instead to yield to his despair and killed himself.  Without repentance, there is, without question, no salvation.

Which of the apostles are we going to follow?  Think about it, and then choose carefully.