Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Optional Memorial of Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious
The Gospel passage today contains arguably one of the most tender scenes in all of Scripture. Take a moment to try to mentally situate yourself in the place of Peter after Good Friday. Try to imagine the intense, agonizing sorrow, guilt, and shame that he experienced after denying and abandoning his beloved Lord mere hours after proclaiming that he was willing to die for him. Imagine the confusion and pain he must have felt as he mentally replayed the excruciating moments of his betrayal over and over again in the aftermath of Christ’s Passion.
And then, in the midst of his anguish and confusion, a piercing blaze of light inexplicably breaks through the darkness when the empty tomb is discovered on Easter morning. It might initially have seemed too good to be true. But even as the reality of the Resurrection dawned on Peter, there may have still been a shadow on his heart. How could he face his beloved Lord after what he had done? He was likely plagued by so many temptations to fear, guilt, and doubt about what that interaction might look like. How often do we have the same temptations when we are faced with bringing our own instances of personal sinfulness to the Lord for forgiveness?
But, as with Peter, the Lord is always so incredibly gentle and tender. His merciful love is unfathomable. He desperately desires to heal the wounds we have inflicted on ourselves and restore us to the original happiness that he intended for us from before the beginning of time.