by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Although the Apostle Peter enthusiastically confessed the identity of Jesus, he was much slower in accepting the message of the Cross. In fact, when Jesus first spoke of his coming Passion, Peter's immediate response was, "Far be it from you, Lord; this shall not happen to you!" So Jesus, having declared Peter "blessed" for his profession of faith, was obliged---within the span of just a few verses---to tell … [Read more...]