The Transformation of St. Peter

By Fr. Christopher Foeckler, MJ • Phoenix, AZ

At the call of Simon (whose name would later be changed to Peter) on the shoreline of Lake Gennesaret as recorded by St. Luke (Cf. Lk 5:1-11), Jesus tells Simon
to “Put out into the deep and lower your nets for a catch”. Simon gently protests that he and the others “have worked hard all night and have caught nothing”, yet he obeys saying, “but at Your command I will lower the nets.” At the sight of the great number of fish in their nearly swamped boats, Simon reacts to the miracle and falling at Jesus’ knees says, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Jesus tells him, “Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching men.”

Peter was awed by the miraculous catch of fish and his own pettiness but, at the gentle mercy of the Lord’s words, left everything then to follow Jesus. Yet he is certainly not perfected and, throughout the three years of discipleship while growing in his sincere love and faithfulness to the Lord, continues to demonstrate his pride, insecurities, and a strong tendency to put his foot in his mouth. On one occasion, he is praised by the Lord for having received the special grace from the Father to be able to clearly profess the divinity of Jesus, then shortly afterwards, was told to “get behind Me Satan”. His thinking not like God but like human beings climaxes in the courtyard of the High Priest with his fearful threefold denial of even knowing the Lord. Jesus is crucified while Peter weeps bitterly.

Then the Resurrection of the Lord happens three days later, and Peter is one of those to whom the Lord appears on Easter Sunday. Within the 40 days that the Glorified Lord appears to the Apostles, it is on the shores of Lake Gennesaret (called Lake Tiberias by St. John Cf. Jn 21:1-20) that Peter and the others are again fishing all night without catching anything. The Lord appears on the shore and directs them to lower their nets and they bring in another miraculous catch of fish. Hence, they recognize that it is the Lord! At this, Peter jumps out of the boat and swims to the Lord. After breakfasting, Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him, and now his humble and very sincere profession of love, “Lord, You know all things, You know that I love You”, marks Peter’s transformation!

After Pentecost, Peter is completely transformed! Now with the Lord’s resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, Peter becomes exceedingly brave and articulate in his preaching to the crowds and even to the Sanhedrin itself after he is miraculously released from jail, so much so that the members of the Sanhedrin are amazed at his eloquence and courage!

The transformation of Peter is the fruit of his surrender to the mercy and grace of the Risen Lord. Let us, like Peter, surrender to the call and grace of the Glorified Lord to transform us!

Happy Easter to all our readers!