Every Sin Has Its History
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21 March 1989
Abruzzo, Italy

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,

Over and over again in the pages of the New Testament, we have proof of that impetuous enthusiasm which characterized St. Peter and which so often led him into trouble, or at least into embarrassing situations. We cannot but admire his impetuous enthusiasm when he said to Our Lord during the Last Supper: "I will lay down my life for You." (Jn 13:37).

Peter was a friend of Jesus Christ both before and after His death on the cross. He felt so attached to Jesus Christ that he could not conceive of ever betraying Him. There is great sincerity in Peter's protest that even if all others would betray Jesus, he would not. Yet, when "the maid who kept the door said to Peter, `Are not you also one of this man's disciples?' He said: 'I am not.'" (Jn 18:17). That was Peter's moment of weakness. Out of fear, out of human respect, he denied that he ever knew Jesus Christ. We know that Peter's denial of Christ did not run deep. Despite his denial, Peter really believed in Christ, for how else can we explain the fact that after his denial, he went out and, as St. Mark, who probably heard it from Peter himself, says: "He broke down and wept." (Mk 14:72).

On one occasion Cardinal Newman said that "every sin has its history." By that he meant that we don't suddenly become alienated from Jesus Christ. We don't suddenly fall into serious sin. In any history of serious infidelity in our lives, we will find that it was preceded by a slow lessening of our love for the person of Jesus Christ.

We can draw great encouragement in our lives from Peter's experience. All of us fail Jesus Christ in many ways, but I think there are very few of us who fail Him by losing all faith in Him. No matter what sins we commit, no matter how low we may stoop, no matter how far we may stray from Christ, all of us can still retain one prayer, namely, the utterance of Peter: "Lord, you have the words of eternal life." (Jn 6:69).

Some time ago I was visiting the Provincial House in Rome and I was asked to go to visit a Sister in the Infirmary who was at the point of death. As we stood around her bed, I listened to a Confrere reading the prayers of the dying, and I was struck by that phrase which the Church suggests to us, that "no matter what sins your servant has committed, he or she has not lost faith in the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit." That was Peter's experience. He may have failed Christ by denying Him, but he never lost faith in the goodness and tenderness of Jesus Christ.

There is another point in Peter's life history upon which it is worth reflecting. He knew about his failure in the past, and his failure was widely known in the Church of his time. All four Evangelists record his denial of Christ. Yet Peter could accept that failure and still move on to work for Jesus Christ and for the coming of His Kingdom. Peter could accept the failures of his past because he had enormous confidence in the power of Christ to forgive. Peter often made his meditation on what Our Lord had said about forgiveness, that he must forgive seventy times seven times. We can imagine Peter saying to himself: "My Lord Jesus Christ taught me how and how often I should forgive, and I know that He practiced every word He preached. So I draw confidence from the sincerity of His words to me: 'Feed My sheep.'" Undoubtedly St. Peter would have interpreted that as that all was forgotten and all was forgiven.

My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, let us go forward, like St. Peter, confident in the fact that we have said to Jesus Christ, if not in words, at least in our hearts, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (Jn 6:69). Whatever may have happened in the past, we will make our own the sentiments of St. Vincent, who encouraged us: "to ask His divine goodness for a great confidence in all that is happening to us. Provided only that we remain faithful to Him, we shall not be wanting for anything. He Himself will live in us. He will guide us, defend us and love us. All that we will, all that we will do, everything will be pleasing to Him." (Coste XII, Fr. ed. pp. 141-142).

Let me conclude by quoting some words of the present successor of St. Peter. Speaking to us, Fathers and Brothers of the Congregation of the Mission, the Pope expressed a Vincentian ideal which I consider valid for the entire family of St. Vincent:

The advent of science and its applications, industrial development and the often haphazard growth centers have begotten a new class of poor who suffer as much as and, undoubtedly, more than the rural and town populations of past centuries. Without monopolizing charity and social action, Monsieur Vincent would move heaven and earth to go to the aid of today's poor and to evangelize them...search out more than ever, with boldness, humility and skill, the causes of poverty and encourage short and long term solutions; adaptable and effective concrete solutions. By doing so, you will work for the credibility of the Gospel and of the Church. Without waiting further, however, live close to the poor and see to it that the Good News of Jesus Christ is never lacking to them." (Discourse of 30 June 1986).

May the peace of Our Lord, which comes from the good news of Jesus Christ, be with you all forever.

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