 |
 |
 |
 |
Q: Do you know where it is written in the gospels: "Lord, Lord, where are you going? And Jesus answered him, Back to Rome to be crucified a second time."? -
Joe
Dear Joe:
The Church's official list of sacred Biblical writings is known as the Canon of the Bible. The words you quote are not found in the Church's Canon, but in what are known as the Apocrypha . The Apocrypha are early Christian texts which are similar in style and content to the Old and New Testament, but which are not regarded by the Church as inspired writings.
One example of the Apocrypha is known as the Acts of Peter , and here the story is told of Peter leaving Rome , in fear, some suggest, of the persecution of the Christians by Emperor Nero. "And as he went forth of the city, he saw the Lord entering into Rome . And when he saw him, he said: Lord, where are you going? And the Lord said to him: I go into Rome to be crucified. And Peter said to him: Lord, are you being crucified again? He said: Yes, Peter, I am being crucified again. And Peter came to himself and, having beheld the Lord ascending up into heaven, he returned to Rome , rejoicing, and glorifying the Lord, saying: I am being crucified, which was about to happen to Peter." ( Apocryphal Acts of Peter )
This account is thought to have been accepted as genuine by Pope Innocent III (1160-1216). Also, the late Pope John Paul II, in one of his homilies at the start of his ministry, makes reference to the story as it is told in the book and later movie titled Quo Vadis : "According to an ancient tradition given magnificent literary expression in a novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz, Peter wanted to leave Rome during Nero's persecution. But the Lord intervened: he went to meet him. Peter spoke to him and asked. "Quo vadis, Domine?"—"Where are you going, Lord?" And the Lord answered him at once: "I am going to Rome to be crucified again." Peter went back to Rome and stayed here until his crucifixion." ( Homily of Pope John Paul II, 1978 )
Today in Rome , on the famous ancient Roman road known as the Appian Way , there is a small church known to pilgrims as Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis , which is thought to mark the spot where Peter met Jesus. The church was built in 1637, but there has been a sanctuary there ever since the 9th century.
There was an inscription above the front door on the facade saying: "Stop your walking, traveler, and enter this sacred temple in which you will find the footprint of our Lord Jesus Christ when he met with St. Peter who escaped from the prison.” The two footprints on a marble slab at the center of the church, which is a copy of a relief preserved in the nearby basilica of San Sebastiano, would be the miraculous sign left by Jesus. Hence, the real name of the Church is Chiesa di Santa Maria in palmis with ‘palmis' referring to the soles of Jesus. In 1983 Pope John Paul II declared the church "a place that has a special importance in the history of Rome and in the history of the Church".
That the Apostle Peter was actually present in Rome at the time and lived in the area where today's church is located is confirmed by an inscription found in the nearby catacombs of St. Sebastian, which reads “Domus Petri” (house of Peter). Also, Pope Damasus I (366-384), in a short writing in honor of St. Peter and Paul, states: "You that are looking for the names of Peter and Paul, you must know that the saints have lived here".
The above references do not only help us reconstruct some of the historical context of St. Peter's presence and martyrdom in Rome, but the events at the time and their place in the living tradition of the Church to this day teach us a lesson of what it means to be a Christian. Peter's return to Rome where a violent persecution was threatening the life of many a Christian is nothing but the heroic determination, aided by divine grace, to accept suffering and sacrifice for Christ's sake. In a sense, it goes to the very heart of the Christian message and mission and presents to us the challenge of seeing in the tough moments and decisions of life the royal road to glory here and hereafter. Are we ready and willing to turn back facing the unpleasant, uncomfortable and unpopular for the sake of Christ and the good of others? Or are we on our way out of the city, too unwilling, weak or busy to accept our cross and leaving it for Christ to carry it again? Maybe we, too, need to ask every so often: “Quo vadis, Domine?” – “Where are you going, Lord” and in so doing find our way to saving grace and glory.
God bless,
Father Norbert