Tractatus Alter, Pars Prior, Cap. 7. De apparitione Christi coram sancto Petro in secreto et de cursu eius cum sancto

Tractatus Alter, Pars Prior, Cap. 7. De apparitione Christi coram sancto Petro in secreto et de cursu eius cum sancto

O Lord, I pray to you, Jesus Christ, supreme shepherd of the holy Church and faithful priest before God for us, for your great compassion and ineffable mercy, which you have shown in various ways to your blessed apostle Peter, and for the divine words you shared with him, and for the secret visions you often revealed to him. I bless you and give thanks to you, Lord Jesus Christ, supreme shepherd of the holy Church and faithful priest before God for us, for your great mercy and ineffable compassion, which you have shown in various ways to your most blessed apostle Peter, and for the divine words you shared with him, and for the secret visions you often revealed to him. For you chose him as the chief and shepherd of the souls of the faithful above all the apostles, and you appointed him over all, and after your departure from this world to the heavenly Father, you left him as your vicar and the keeper of the keys of heaven. Yet you did not cast him away from your love after his denial, but immediately restored him to his heart through the regard of your grace, bringing him back from his bitter weeping, and you mercifully forgave him all the offenses committed against you, fully and completely. You gently restored him to his former rank and the honor of the priesthood after his grave fall. O fountain of mercies and inexhaustible torrent of heavenly gifts for those who repent and weep for their sins, O most merciful giver of pardon and bestower of heavenly grace, O sweet and beloved Lord Jesus Christ, among all your saints and friends chosen from eternity, who never cease to do good and to flow out to all who come to you, and to those who repent with all their heart and humbly seek forgiveness. I praise and honor you especially for your great kindness, because today you truly appeared to Saint Peter, your beloved apostle, in some secret place known to you better than to me, for his special consolation, which he needed very much at that time. For whoever has sinned more, needs more consolation and support. No one is a better comforter or more powerful guardian of the soul than you, Jesus, our Creator and Savior. So I give you thanks, most gracious Jesus Christ, knower and restorer of all who suffer and fall, who timely helped the wandering sheep Peter, so that he wouldn’t despair from excessive sorrow over sin or doubt your resurrection when your sacred body was not found in the tomb. Therefore, like a compassionate and wise healer of afflicted souls, you sent your holy angel to comfort and restore Peter to hope for forgiveness, who, speaking sweet words, instructed the women to tell Peter: "Quickly," he said, "go and tell his disciples and Peter that Jesus has risen." O good and holy angel, how well and rightly you named Peter with the familiar name first given to him by the Lord in his apostolic calling and dignity, so that he wouldn't despair because of the three denials of his beloved Lord and Master. For when he heard the angel call him by name and greet him through the holy women, he was filled with joy. He became more joyful in spirit and, filled with new confidence, ran quickly with John to the tomb, forgetting all his labor and sorrow. When he saw all these things done by the Lord, just as he had heard them told by the women and by the holy angel, who does not lie but is a faithful witness of the completed resurrection, his spirit immediately revived within him, filled with the breath of life and firm hope for eternal salvation. So, marveling within himself and congratulating the Lord with great desire, he wished to see his Lord and for him to appear to him, just as he had appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Let me be the first among women, and let me be the second or third among men, or the last among the apostles and his disciples. Yet, let what seems good and right to Him be done for me according to His will for the salvation of my soul. I sincerely desire to see my Lord and to be perfectly reconciled to Him, finding comfort in the words of His mouth. Let your mercies come to me, Lord, that I may live and no longer presume upon myself. Remember, I ask you, all the gentleness of your mercy and holy prayer, which you offered to the Father for me and for sinners when you prayed on the cross. Come, good Jesus, and do not delay. You are my hope and the total salvation of my soul. Show yourself to me, Lord, and I will be saved, and I will rejoice more when I see you on this holy day of Easter. And it happened as Jesus was pleased to grant the prayers of his beloved Apostle Peter. For Jesus, who is both pious and merciful, soon appeared to the one seeking Him and hurriedly ran after him. And so, receiving the one who was weeping, He graciously granted forgiveness, wiping away every offense made against Him, even if timidly, during the night. Moreover, he more cautiously ignited him to a stronger confession of the holy name and a perpetual love. O immense mercy of Christ, worthy of all praise, full of heavenly sweetness and to be proclaimed to all the faithful throughout the ages, so that no one who has fallen may despair of forgiveness, nor may anyone who has been made whole presume carelessly upon the grace given to him from heaven. O great sign of mercy, today made manifest in Saint Peter by the Lord, from which the angels rejoice, the archangels are glad, the lost are revived, the sluggish are stirred, and all the faithful people praise God for the great mercy of the Lord and for the indulgence of the most blessed Peter, perfectly confirmed in the faith of Christ. Oh, what a loving and friendly conversation Jesus had with Peter when he received the kiss of peace, and how joyful and peaceful his heart was in the vision and address of the risen Christ, his most beloved Lord. II, I. O beloved Saint Peter, revered apostle and chosen patron of the holy Roman Church, remember this day and the great feast of Easter, on which you were reconciled to the Lord and absolved from all sins by the gift of the Holy Spirit. And now, remember me, a poor and unworthy sinner, before the kind Jesus in my time of affliction and desolation, and after this world's mournful exile, grant me faithful help as I depart from this body, and provide me a safe passage to heaven. Open for me the gate of paradise, promised to all who repent, through the passion and death of Christ, until the end of the age. Keep me safe from the snares of the ancient enemy; rescue me while I pray from the pains and darkness of hell. For God has given you all the kingdoms of the world and the keys of heaven to open the door of life to those who knock, and to those who repent with all their heart at the end and turn to God with full faith. Hear me, O most blessed Peter, pious shepherd of the Church and glorious prince of the world, that I may learn to weep for my sins worthily and through you obtain forgiveness from the Lord Jesus. Amen.