St Peter: his name

Over the coming weeks, I shall publish a series posts on St Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, in the fervent hope that he may intercede on behalf of those who, in their own lives, have betrayed those whom they should have loved and cherished the most.

Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt.

Tecum tutus semper sum.

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Sancte Petre, ora pro nobis.

[  ] References in the text to numbered footnotes are not hyperlinked but may be found at the end of the relevant text.

Simon Peter

St. Peter's original name was Simon,[1] sometimes occurring in the form Symeon (Συμεὼν).[2] He was the son of Jona (Johannes)

[1] [42] And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus looking upon him, said: Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter.
Et adduxit eum ad Jesum. Intuitus autem eum Jesus, dixit : Tu es Simon, filius Jona; tu vocaberis Cephas, quod interpretatur Petrus.
42 ἤγαγεν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν. ἐμβλέψας αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν: σὺ εἶ Σίμων ὁ υἱὸς Ἰωάννου, σὺ κληθήσῃ Κηφᾶς, ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται Πέτρος.
[John 1]

[1] [2] And the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother,
Duodecim autem Apostolorum nomina sunt haec. Primus, Simon, qui dicitur Petrus : et Andreas frater ejus,
et tuam ipsius animam pertransibit gladius ut revelentur ex multis cordibus cogitationes.[Matt 10]

[1] [17] And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
Respondens autem Jesus, dixit ei : Beatus es Simon Bar Jona : quia caro et sanguis non revelavit tibi, sed Pater meus, qui in caelis est. [Matt 16]

[2] [14] Simon hath related how God first visited to take of the Gentiles a people to his name.
Simon narravit quemadmodum primum Deus visitavit sumere ex gentibus populum nomini suo.14 Συμεὼν ἐξηγήσατο καθὼς πρῶτον ὁ θεὸς ἐπεσκέψατο λαβεῖν ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαὸν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.[Acts 15]

[2] [1] Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained equal faith with us in the justice of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Simon Petrus, servus et apostolus Jesu Christi, iis qui coaequalem nobiscum sortiti sunt fidem in justitia Dei nostri, et Salvatoris Jesu Christi.
1 Συμεὼν Πέτρος δοῦλος καὶ ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῖς ἰσότιμον ἡμῖν λαχοῦσιν πίστιν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. [1 Pet ]

Meaning of 'Simon'

What does 'Simon' or 'Simeon' mean? The first reference to 'Simeon' in Scripture concerns the second son of Jacob (by Leah) and ancestor of the tribe of the same name.

[33] And again she (Leah) conceived and bore a son, and said: Because the Lord heard that I was despised, he hath given this also to me: and she called his name Simeon.
Rursumque concepit et peperit filium, et ait : Quoniam audivit me Dominus haberi contemptui, dedit etiam istum mihi; vocavitque nomen ejus Simeon.
33 καὶ συνέλαβεν πάλιν Λεια καὶ ἔτεκεν υἱὸν δεύτερον τῷ Ιακωβ καὶ εἶπεν ὅτι ἤκουσεν κύριος ὅτι μισοῦμαι καὶ προσέδωκέν μοι καὶ τοῦτον ἐκάλεσεν δὲ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Συμεων [Gen 29]

Nunc dimittis...JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum

The suggestion seems to be that God heard Leah's prayer and answered it by blessing her with a son. There are parallels in the New Testament.The prophetic Nunc dimittis prayer of Simeon, for example, stems in part from his gratitude that his prayer has been heard and he is blessed with seeing and holding the baby Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah:

[25] And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was in him.
Et ecce homo erat in Jerusalem, cui nomen Simeon, et homo iste justus, et timoratus, exspectans consolationem Israel : et Spiritus Sanctus erat in eo.
[26] And he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
Et responsum acceperat a Spiritu Sancto, non visurum se mortem, nisi prius videret Christum Domini.
[Gen 2]

Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona. JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum

At Cesarea Philippi, Simon Peter himself utters a prayer declaring his faith in Christ. His words are heard by Christ who confers a blessing:

[15] Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?
Dicit illis Jesus : Vos autem, quem me esse dicitis?
[16] Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.
Respondens Simon Petrus dixit : Tu es Christus, Filius Dei vivi.

[17] And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
Respondens autem Jesus, dixit ei : Beatus es Simon Bar Jona : quia caro et sanguis non revelavit tibi, sed Pater meus, qui in caelis est.
17 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ: μακάριος εἶ, Σίμων Βαριωνᾶ, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψέν σοι ἀλλ' ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. [Matt 16]

Conversely, when Peter fails to pray, the consequences for him prove almost fatal to his soul as he finds himself betraying his Saviour:

[33] And he taketh Peter and James and John with him; and he began to fear and to be heavy.
Et assumit Petrum, et Jacobum, et Joannem secum : et coepit pavere et taedere.
[34] And he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death; stay you here, and watch.
Et ait illis : Tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem : sustinete hic, et vigilate....
[37] And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping. And he saith to Peter: Simon, sleepest thou? couldst thou not watch one hour? .....
Et venit, et invenit eos dormientes. Et ait Petro : Simon, dormis? non potuisti una hora vigilare? [Luke 14]
[41] Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak.
Vigilate, et orate ut non intretis in tentationem. Spiritus quidem promptus est, caro autem infirma.  [Matt 26]

Peter's tears.  JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum

In the absence of grace, Peter cannot help himself and denies His Lord three times:

[74] Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
Tunc coepit detestari et jurare quia non novisset hominem. Et continuo gallus cantavit.
[75] And Peter remembered the word of Jesus which he had said: Before the cock crow, thou wilt deny me thrice. And going forth, he wept bitterly.
Et recordatus est Petrus verbi Jesu, quod dixerat : Priusquam gallus cantet, ter me negabis. Et egressus foras, flevit amare. [Matt 26]

These tears show that, unlike Judas, Peter felt not only shame but true contrition in his heart. His tears can offer a powerful example to all those who have committed acts of base betrayal.

Conclusion

We have seen above how Leah asked in prayer for a favour, how her prayer was heard and how God answered her prayer with a blessing in the form of a new baby, Simeon. We have considered further examples of this taken from the New Testament  with reference to Simeon and Simon Peter.

At the heart of this series of posts is penitence for betrayal. The posts are offered as a form of prayer with this intention in view. An old family prayer from the 1980's incorporated Our Lord's own promise to hear our prayerful requests; we have only to Ask:

[7] Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you.
Petite, et dabitur vobis : quaerite, et invenietis : pulsate, et aperietur vobis.
[8] For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
Omnis enim qui petit, accipit : et qui quaerit, invenit : et pulsanti aperietur. [Matt 7]

In the fifth penitential psalm, the penitent asks the Lord:

[2] Hear, O Lord, my prayer: and let my cry come to thee.
Domine, exaudi orationem meam, et clamor meus ad te veniat.
[3] Turn not away thy face from me: in the day when I am in trouble, incline thy ear to me. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me speedily.
Non avertas faciem tuam a me; in quacumque die tribulor, inclina ad me aurem tuam; in quacumque die invocavero te, velociter exaudi me.
[4] For my days are vanished like smoke: and my bones are grown dry like fuel for the fire.
Quia defecerunt sicut fumus dies mei, et ossa mea sicut cremium aruerunt. [Ps 101]

Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt.

Tecum tutus semper sum.

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Sancte Petre, ora pro nobis.