"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat, but I I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. Thou therefore, when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. "
I try to make you dive into an experience for a few seconds. Imagine for a moment that you're sitting next to the Apostle Peter (Simon) to the table for the last meal of the Lord. You just eat and drink the body and blood of Christ and Judas has been denounced by Jesus for his betrayal. Suddenly, you hear Jesus say: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." Take time to carefully weigh the meaning of this phrase of Jesus and try to imagine the reaction you would have had as an apostle seated next to Peter.
Let this sentence in detail. Let's start with the first part: "Simon, Simon ...». You can be sure that Jesus will say later is of paramount importance because in the Gospels When Jesus begins a sentence with this kind of duplication (such as "verily, verily"), this means that the sequence is important. Moreover, in this case is the name of Simon (Peter) which is repeated twice. It's the only time in the Gospels where Jesus repeats twice a person's name in this way. He continues: "... behold, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat, ... . As we have seen, Jesus turns to Peter (Simon, Simon), but he says: "Satan has asked to sift you like wheat." As apostles seated at the table, you understand that those that have been requested by Satan to be screened as wheat is also you and all the other apostles at the table.
Now comes the most disturbing part where Jesus explains his reaction to the request of Satan, "but I have prayed for you [Peter], that your faith may not fail." As always in the skin of the Apostle sat beside Peter, are you not a little disturbed? Let's recap again, Satan asks Jesus if he agrees to let him manhandle the Apostles and Jesus says, and in your presence over the market, he has prayed for Peter! And besides, he did not say Satan would preclude the screen like wheat, but he had only requested that his faith may not fail! This is a very strange answer at first. Jesus why did not he rather prayed for all the Apostles?
I think this text makes sense if one considers the privileged place of Peter as the rock on which is founded the Church. "Well! I'm telling you: You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16, 18). In light of this passage, everything becomes clearer. We all know that Peter will deny Jesus three times later that evening there and that's why Jesus said to him then: "You [Peter] So, when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." This is also why, at an appearance after his resurrection, he said to Peter, "Feed my sheep" after asking three times if he loved her and set his triple denial.
back to our stage for a final thought. As an apostle at the table next to Peter, what would you do if later you feel you disagree with Peter on an important point of the Faith? Would you dare to defy or contradict that, and the only one on which Jesus was praying that his faith may not fail? Do not you understand now why the assembly was silent (Acts 15:12) after Peter had explained that the Gentiles (non-Jews) who want to follow Jesus do not bear the burden of Jewish law? Do not you understand why the Church must be united around the pope, the successor of Peter, to remain in the Truth?
As you know, all the apostles who were at that dinner that evening were persecuted for their faith. All, except John, were killed during the persecutions. Obviously, Satan to all "screen like wheat." However, the Faith of Peter, the promise of Jesus Christ has prevailed over Hades. The Church founded by Jesus Christ on Peter Stone and guided by the Holy Spirit is and will always be there for the sheep pair and will continue to strengthen his brothers until the end of time.
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