Pope Francis Jesus prayed for Peter and prays for us 23.04.20

And then Peter and the apostles replied with the same story: "We must obey God, we are obedient to God, and you are guilty" (cf. Acts 5: 29-31). And he accuses, but with courage, with boldness, but one asks: "But is this the Peter who has denied Jesus? That Peter who was so afraid, that Peter who was also a coward? How did he get here?" And he also ends by saying, "And of these facts we are witnesses as is the Holy Spirit who is with us, who God has given to those who obey him" (cf. 32) This was the journey of Peter to get to this point, to this courage, to this boldness, to expose himself? Because he could compromise and say to the priests: "But rest assured, we will go, we will talk with a little softer tone, we will never accuse you in public, but you leave us alone ...", and arrive at a compromise.

In history, the Church has had to do this so many times to save the people of God. And many times, she has also done so to save herself - but not the Holy Church - the leaders. Compromises can be good and can be bad. But could they get out of the compromise? No, Peter said: "No compromise. You are guilty" (cf. v.30), and he said it with courage.

And how did Peter get to this point? Because he was an enthusiastic man, a man who loved with passion, but also a fearful man, a man who was open to God to the point that God reveals to him that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, but soon after – immediately – he lets himself fall into the temptation to say to Jesus: "No, Lord, not on this path: let us take the other": redemption without Cross. And Jesus says to him, "Satan" (cf. Mark 8, 31-33). A Peter who went from temptation to grace, a Peter who is able to kneel before Jesus and say: "Leave me for I am a sinful man" (cf. Luke 5:8), and then a Peter who tries to walk away without being seen and not to end up in prison who denies Jesus (cf. Luke 22:54-62). Peter is unstable because he was very generous and also very weak. What is the secret, what is the strength that Peter had to get here? There's a verse that will help us understand this. Before the Passion, Jesus said to the apostles, "Satan has sought you to sift through you like wheat. It is the moment of temptation: "You will be like this, like wheat." And to Peter he says, "And I will pray for you, "that your faith may not fail"" (v.32). This is Peter's secret: the prayer of Jesus. Jesus prays for Peter, that his faith will not fail and that he may , Jesus says – confirm his brothers and sisters in the faith. Jesus prays for Peter.

And what Jesus did with Peter, he does with all of us. Jesus prays for us; prays before the Father. We are used to praying to Jesus to give us this grace, that grace, to help us, but we are not used to contemplating Jesus who shows the Father his wounds, to Jesus the intercessor, to Jesus who prays for us. And Peter was able to go all this way, from cowardly to courageous, with the gift of the Holy Spirit thanks to the prayer of Jesus.

Let's think about this a little bit. Let us turn to Jesus, being grateful that he prays for us. Jesus prays for each of us. Jesus is the intercessor. Jesus wanted to bring his wounds with him to show them to his Father. The price of our salvation. We need to have more confidence; more than in our prayers, in the prayer of Jesus. "Lord, pray for me" – "But I am God, I can give you ..." – "Yes, but pray for me, because you are the intercessor." And this is Peter's secret: "Peter, I will pray for you that your faith will not fail" (Luke 22:32).

May the Lord teach us to ask him for the grace to pray for each of us.