Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. One of the maids came over to him and said, You too were with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, I do not know what you are talking about!
As he went out to the gate, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, This man was with Jesus the Nazorean. Again he denied it with an oath. I do not know the man!
A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter, Surely you too are one of them; even your speech gives you away. At that he began to curse and to swear, I do not know the man. (Mt. 26:69:74)
Peter is in the courtyard just outside the room where Jesus is being tried. While Jesus, placed under oath, is declaring that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, Peter, who made that very profession of faith ten chapters earlier, is volunteering an oath that he does not even know Jesus.
The third denial includes not only and oath, but a curse. It may be that Peter cursed Jesus (people sometimes had to curse their own "god to prove their allegiance to the Roman gods.) It seems almost unthinkable. But no sin in unthinkable.
There but for the grace of God, go I. And sometimes there, despite the grace of God, go I.
When it comes to sin, theres no sense wallowing in self-misery which can be an excuse to keep on sinning. Realism needs to kick in. Were sinners. We cant achieve goodness wholly on our own, which means we cant be holy on our own. Let go. Let God.
Spend some quiet time with the Lord.
Irish Saints
Today is the Memorial of St. Patrick.
While Patrick is perhaps the most well-known Irish saint, he is not the only one. Among Irelands saints are:
St. Aidan: This seventh century missionary founded a monastery that became a learning center of Celtic Christianity for northern England. Memorial: August 31.
St. Brigid: The daughter of a slave and a chieftan, she founded the first convent in Ireland. She is the patron of Irish women. Memorial: February 1
St. Columban: supposedly Columban was so handsome that he was advised that if he truly wanted to live as an ascetic, he would have to go to a region where women were less seductive and attractive someplace like Ireland. Memorial: November 23.
St. Columkille: This popular Irish saint is credited with bringing Catholicism to Scotland. Memorial: June 9.
St. Kieran: Called one of Irelands 12 apostles, Kieran founded an Irish monastery. Memorial: September 9.