In Love With The Divine Outcast P. 44

"Go behind Me Satan." The Gospel affords a truly striking example of this domination of the human over the divine without there being any formal offense against God. It is in an episode in which St. Peter is addressed as Satan by his Divine Master. Our Lord was announcing P. 43 to His disciples all the sufferings of His Passion; Peter taking Him aside, began to rebuke Him saying: "Lord, be it far from Thee, this shall not be unto Thee." And Jesus turning said to Peter: "Go behind Me, Satan, thou art a scandal unto Me: Because thou savourest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men." Here Peter is addressed as Satan by the gentle Saviour, although he was the very man whom, a few verses higher up, this Saviour had called 'blessed,' and chosen as the foundation of His Church. What drive, then, can be committed to draw upon himself such a lively rebuke after having merited such a sublime praise? He wanted to show his Master his affection, and he did so sincerely indeed. Peter was a man of reckless generosity. Who is going to bring any accusation against the Apostle for testifying to his Master? And he is addressed as Satan for thus testifying his affection? Yes, just for this testimony. Why? Our Saviour explains: "Thou puttest man," says He, "before God." Man's thoughts before God's thoughts, man's likings before God's. And when thou actest in this fashion, I call thee Satan. Give God His place, keep thine own, go behind Me. Cease to put the human above the divine, and learn that in all things God must be above Man.

These two scenes, which are placed side by side in the Gospel, wherein Peter P. 44 is first of all addressed as "blessed," and then as "Satan," are singularly instructive. On the one hand, Peter acknowledges and confesses the Divinity of Christ, and Jesus says to him; "Blessed are thou." Why blessed? Because thou hast heard and listened not to the voice of flesh and blood, but to the Voice of the Father Who is in Heaven. Here is the divine above the human. On the other hand, Peter, following human likings and not God's Wisdom, goes so far as to run counter to the Passion of the Son of Man, and his Master calls him Satan. Here we see how our Saviour praises and extols faithfulness in reserving the first place to the divine. And here, too, we see how He rebukes the domination of nature's views, affections, and tendencies, even in those manifestations which are free from sin.

"To Him that shall overcome, I will give to sit with Me in My Throne; as I also have overcome, and am set down with My Father in His Throne."

(Apoc. 3/21.)

It is never difficult to know what and how much Our Divine Lord wishes. He speaks in a very clear language. His habitual mode of dealing is to withdraw the soul from external things. The soul apt to resist, and to resist often, finally contents herself with a mediocre existence, resting in the thought that she was never intended for so exalted a life. This P. 45 thought is a great obstacle to progress in the life of union with God.

Go to the BEGINNING!