Why do we do St. Peter’s Fire?
Reflecting on St. Peter’s experience of and response to the death and resurrection of Jesus can shape how we experience and respond to it as well. Jesus’s burning love purified Peter and called him to be a disciple. We are purified and called in the same way.
We call this St. Peter’s Fire for three reasons.
Reflecting on St. Peter’s experience of and response to the death and resurrection of Jesus can shape how we experience and respond to it as well. Jesus’s burning love purified Peter and called him to be a disciple. We are purified and called in the same way.
We call this St. Peter’s Fire for three reasons.
- It captures the low and the high of Peter’s responses to Jesus.
- In the midst of Peter’s low and high responses, Jesus still calls him to be his disciple of burning love.
- Jesus invited Peter to stay with him in prayer for one hour.
The first time that the heat of the fire is talked about in the Gospel of John is when Peter denies Jesus. The passage goes as follows:
Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter, “You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire that they had made, because it was cold, and were warming themselves. Peter was also standing there keeping warm...And they said to him, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately the cock crowed (John 18:17-18, 25-27).
Can you imagine the power of that moment for Peter? He will always remember that he warmed himself over a charcoal fire as he denied Jesus. We have encountered Peter’s lowest moment. His friend and master is going off to death and he believes he will never be able to reconcile with him. Sin has captured him.
Jesus did not leave Peter in his sin and he does not leave us there either.
The second time we encounter a charcoal fire in John’s Gospel is after Jesus’ resurrection. This time, Jesus is sitting behind a charcoal fire as Peter comes swimming on to shore. Can you imagine coming up out of the cold water and experiencing the warmth of the fire? At first, the warmth simply feels good but Peter quickly realizes that Jesus knows what stands between them. Jesus has to convince Peter that his sin does not have to be avoided or denied or even seen as having victory. Even though Peter struggles, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” (John 21:1-17). Jesus’ burning love is what overcomes sin. But that is not even the end. In the midst of their reconciliation, Jesus calls Peter to be a disciple – to go out and share the good news of what God has done for him and for us. Now the heat of the fire becomes symbolic of overcoming sin, honest reconciliation, and being sent as a disciple. This second fire becomes Peter’s high point. Do you feel the warmth of the fire you are tending in a new way?
Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter, “You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire that they had made, because it was cold, and were warming themselves. Peter was also standing there keeping warm...And they said to him, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately the cock crowed (John 18:17-18, 25-27).
Can you imagine the power of that moment for Peter? He will always remember that he warmed himself over a charcoal fire as he denied Jesus. We have encountered Peter’s lowest moment. His friend and master is going off to death and he believes he will never be able to reconcile with him. Sin has captured him.
Jesus did not leave Peter in his sin and he does not leave us there either.
The second time we encounter a charcoal fire in John’s Gospel is after Jesus’ resurrection. This time, Jesus is sitting behind a charcoal fire as Peter comes swimming on to shore. Can you imagine coming up out of the cold water and experiencing the warmth of the fire? At first, the warmth simply feels good but Peter quickly realizes that Jesus knows what stands between them. Jesus has to convince Peter that his sin does not have to be avoided or denied or even seen as having victory. Even though Peter struggles, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” (John 21:1-17). Jesus’ burning love is what overcomes sin. But that is not even the end. In the midst of their reconciliation, Jesus calls Peter to be a disciple – to go out and share the good news of what God has done for him and for us. Now the heat of the fire becomes symbolic of overcoming sin, honest reconciliation, and being sent as a disciple. This second fire becomes Peter’s high point. Do you feel the warmth of the fire you are tending in a new way?
Why do we ask you to tend the fire for a whole hour?
This leads us back to another experience of Peter. Jesus led Peter, James and John into a garden called Gethsemane to pray. This is the time when we hear about Jesus’ intense prayer to his Father. When Jesus came back to Peter, he found Peter and the other disciples asleep. Jesus said to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? (Matthew 26:40).
Yes, this is challenging! We start thinking about how we are going to fill the hour with other things. Yet, Jesus invites us to know that he is enough.
This is where the Catholic tradition of keeping a “Holy Hour” comes from. Typically Catholics spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration where we look upon Jesus in the host and Jesus looks upon us. From the end of the Holy Thursday Mass until the Easter Vigil, we reserve the Eucharist in Classroom B for this very purpose. As you are tending the fire, you will see the candle in the window signifying Jesus’ presence. The door to Classroom B will be open for you if you wish to spend time there. You are not only tending the fire but you are sitting with Jesus as well.
So again, we unite ourselves to Peter. Jesus knows the difficulty of keeping an hour for him alone as Peter did. However, we are called to know Jesus is enough, like Peter did.
Thank you for considering and/or taking part in St. Peter’s Fire. I pray that it may allow you to enter more deeply into the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. David Schatz
2015
This leads us back to another experience of Peter. Jesus led Peter, James and John into a garden called Gethsemane to pray. This is the time when we hear about Jesus’ intense prayer to his Father. When Jesus came back to Peter, he found Peter and the other disciples asleep. Jesus said to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? (Matthew 26:40).
Yes, this is challenging! We start thinking about how we are going to fill the hour with other things. Yet, Jesus invites us to know that he is enough.
This is where the Catholic tradition of keeping a “Holy Hour” comes from. Typically Catholics spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration where we look upon Jesus in the host and Jesus looks upon us. From the end of the Holy Thursday Mass until the Easter Vigil, we reserve the Eucharist in Classroom B for this very purpose. As you are tending the fire, you will see the candle in the window signifying Jesus’ presence. The door to Classroom B will be open for you if you wish to spend time there. You are not only tending the fire but you are sitting with Jesus as well.
So again, we unite ourselves to Peter. Jesus knows the difficulty of keeping an hour for him alone as Peter did. However, we are called to know Jesus is enough, like Peter did.
Thank you for considering and/or taking part in St. Peter’s Fire. I pray that it may allow you to enter more deeply into the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. David Schatz
2015
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