Simon Peter—The Believer, The Denier, The Rock Jesus had twelve particular apostles to whom he entrusted his ministry, including Matthew, Thomas, and Simon Peter (356). Simon was a fisherman who left his life to follow Jesus. Jesus gave him the name Peter, which comes from the Latin word “petra,” which means rock (Matthew 4:18). Jesus told Peter that he was the rock upon which Jesus would build the Church (Matthew 16:18). Mark, one of the four Evangelists, was a disciple of Peter. Mark’s gospel was written based on the stories that Peter told him (309). The two of them were very close, Peter even calling him “my son Mark” in his first letter (1 Pt 5:13). Peter went on to be the first pope, and was proclaimed a saint by early Christians because
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By doing that, Jesus made Peter the first pope, with the Church built on him (412). Many non-Catholics, and many Catholics themselves, are not aware of the meaning behind the upside-down cross. There are a lot of young people who think that an upside-down cross is a Satanist sign, or a sign of atheism. This is not the case. When Peter the Apostle was martyred, he was crucified. However, he did not deem himself worthy to be killed in the same way that Jesus was, so he requested that he be crucified upside down. So, in fact, the upside-down cross is a symbol of feeling or being unworthy. What struck me the most while learning about Peter in Religion and Catechism classes while I was growing up is how human he seemed. The Bible is a piece of literature, full of characters who are mentioned to tell stories, or to make a point, but Peter always seemed real. Peter was flawed, prideful, and often quick to be wrong. He lost his temper at times, expected things from Jesus when he had no reason to, doubted Him, and later denied Him after swearing that he never would. As much as every Christian would like to claim that they are the perfect example of a follower of Christ, for most of them, that just isn’t the case. Humans are endowed with free will and original sin, passed down from Eden, and that means bad choices will doubtlessly be
By doing that, Jesus made Peter the first pope, with the Church built on him (412). Many non-Catholics, and many Catholics themselves, are not aware of the meaning behind the upside-down cross. There are a lot of young people who think that an upside-down cross is a Satanist sign, or a sign of atheism. This is not the case. When Peter the Apostle was martyred, he was crucified. However, he did not deem himself worthy to be killed in the same way that Jesus was, so he requested that he be crucified upside down. So, in fact, the upside-down cross is a symbol of feeling or being unworthy. What struck me the most while learning about Peter in Religion and Catechism classes while I was growing up is how human he seemed. The Bible is a piece of literature, full of characters who are mentioned to tell stories, or to make a point, but Peter always seemed real. Peter was flawed, prideful, and often quick to be wrong. He lost his temper at times, expected things from Jesus when he had no reason to, doubted Him, and later denied Him after swearing that he never would. As much as every Christian would like to claim that they are the perfect example of a follower of Christ, for most of them, that just isn’t the case. Humans are endowed with free will and original sin, passed down from Eden, and that means bad choices will doubtlessly be