Reflection - Tuesday of Holy Week

We know Peter's story. We know his many faults. We know the great mercy the Master continues to extend to him. Yes, Peter falls time and again. He sorrows over his sins. But, by the end, he follows his Master and lays down his life. Now he lives among the saints in heaven.

Upon reflection, we find that Peter's story is very similar to our own. We know our many faults. We fall time and again. We sorrow over our sins. But we tend to ask ourselves: "Will we make it? Will we ever be free from our sins? By the end, will we lay down our lives, with all of our sins, at the Master's feet, or will we instead deny him?”

If we find ourselves ruminating on these questions, we find just how easy it is to despair. To break through this rumination, we must read on. Peter falls time and again and even denies his Master. Yet he continually repents, refusing to despair. Why? He repents because he joyfully clings to his Master's never-failing mercy. Because he remembers the joy of receiving this mercy, he follows his Master to the end, passing through death into life. As we come to the end of Lent, Peter gives us his light of hope. Peter's story can become our own if only, after sorrowing over our sins, we remember to joyfully cling to our Master's great mercy. We too can live with the saints in heaven.