Bede

And Jesus said to him: Truly, I say to you that today, in this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. And Peter, in the fervor of his faith, made a promise, and the Savior, as God, knew the future. And note that Peter denies in the night, and denies three times. But after the rooster crowed, and as the darkness lessened, the approaching light was announced, he turned and wept bitterly, washing away the filth of the threefold denial with his tears. It should certainly not be thought to be contrary that Mark says: Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times, while the other evangelists simply say: Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. For the entirety of Peter's denial is a threefold denial. Because he remained in that same denial, with the intent and purpose of falsehood, until, reminded of what he had been foretold, he was healed with bitter weeping and sorrow of the heart. But this entire, that is, threefold denial, if it had begun after the first crowing of the rooster, the three who said that the Lord had spoken truly that before the rooster crows, Peter would deny him three times would seem to have spoken falsely. Again, if he had completed the whole threefold denial before the rooster began to crow, Marcus would be found to have said in vain from the person of the Lord: Truly I say to you that you, in this night, before the rooster crows twice will deny me three times. But because that threefold denial began before the first crowing of the rooster, those three paid attention not to when Peter would complete it, but to how extensive it would be, and when it would begin, that is, threefold before the rooster crows, although it could be understood entirely in his mind before the first crowing of the rooster. Although indeed the beginning of those words of denial was before the first crowing, and after the second crowing the entire threefold denial was completed, nevertheless by the disposition of his mind and the fear of Peter, it was conceived entirely before the first crowing. Nor does it matter over how many intervals of delay the threefold voice was announced, since his heart, even before the first crowing, possessed it entirely, so deeply was it imbued with such great fear that he could deny the Lord, not only once, but a second and third time when questioned, so that to those considering attentively and diligently how one who has already committed adultery in his heart if he looks at a woman lustfully, so Peter, whenever he expressed in words the fear which he had so vehemently conceived in his mind, that extended up to the third denial of the Lord, the entire threefold denial must be attributed to that moment when such sufficient fear for a threefold denial overtook him.

(ubi sup.) The place Gethsemane, in which the Lord prayed, is shown up to this day at the foot of the Mount of Olives. The meaning of Gethsemane is, the valley of the fat, or of fatness. Now when our Lord prays on a mountain, He teaches us that we should when we pray ask for lofty things; but by praying in the valley of fatness, He implies that in our prayer humility and the fatness of interior love must be kept. He also by the valley of humility and the fatness of charity underwent death for us.

(ubi sup.) As being God, dwelling in the body, He shows the frailty of flesh, that the blasphemy of those who deny the mystery of His Incarnation might find no place; for having taken up a body, He must needs also take up all that belongs to the body, hunger, thirst, pain, grief; for the Godhead cannot suffer the changes of these affections.

He does not mean natural sleep by the sleep which He forbids, for the time of approaching danger did not allow of it, but the sleep of unfaithfulness, and the torpor of the mind. But going forward a little, He falls on His face, and shows his lowliness of mind, by the posture of His body. Wherefore there follows: And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

(ubi sup.) But He prays, that the cup may pass away, to show that He is very man, wherefore He adds: Take away this cup from me. But remembering why He was sent, He accomplishes the dispensation for which He was sent, and cries out, But not what I will, but what thou wilt. As if He had said, If death can die, without my dying according to the flesh, let this cup pass away; but since this cannot be otherwise, not what I will, but what thou wilt. Many still are sad at the prospect of death, but let them keep their heart right, and avoid death as much as they can; but if they cannot, then let them say what the Lord said for us.

(ubi sup.) He does not say, Pray that ye may not be tempted, because it is impossible for the human mind not to be tempted, but that ye enter not into temptation, that is, that temptation may not vanquish you.

(ubi sup.) He here represses the rash, who think that they can compass whatever they are confident about. But in proportion as we are confident from the ardour of our mind, so let us fear from the weakness of our flesh. 2For this place makes against those, who say that there was but one operation in the Lord and one will. For He shows two wills, one human, which from the weakness of the flesh shrinks from suffering; one divine, which is most ready. It goes on: And again he went away and prayed, and spake the same words.

And they come to a place called Gethsemane. The place of Gethsemane is shown to this day, where the Lord prayed, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, now a church built above it. However, Gethsemane is interpreted as the valley of the fat ones or the fatness. Indeed, not only the sayings or deeds of our Savior, but also the places and times in which he works and speaks, are full of mystical figures (as often said), when the Lord prays on the mountain, as if silently admonishing us that only high things should be sought by praying, and that we should supplicate for heavenly goods. But when he prays in the valley, and this in the valley of the fat ones or fatness, he equally insinuates to us humility always in prayers, and the internal fatness of love to be preserved, that none should dare, as it were, to boast his merits before God in prayer in the example of the proud Pharisee, but rather with humble voice and mind proclaim: God, be merciful to me a sinner (Luke XVIII). Nor bearing a heart dry of love for the neighbor, to placate the Creator's grace, should he kneel, like the one who, not willing to forgive a hundred denarii to his brother which he owed him, in vain prayed for ten thousand talents to be forgiven to him by his lord. Nor having a heart fasting from the love of the Creator, should he in prayer seek any temporal things rather than his vision, to be counted among those of whom he said: For they have received their reward (Matthew VI). To place one's thought in the low, what else is it but a certain dryness of mind? But those who intellectually already feed on the food of inner delight by holy desires of heavenly things, as it were, grow fat by more ample nourishment. For this fatness the Psalmist longed to be filled, when he said: My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness (Psalm LXII). As regards the dispensation of the Lord's passion itself, it is fittingly appropriated to death, that the Lord prayed in the valley of fatness, because through the valley of humility and the fatness of charity he underwent death for us. For he humbled himself, being made obedient to the Father unto death (Philippians II). And greater love than this no man has, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John XV).

And He takes Peter, and James, and John with Him, and began to be afraid and to be very sorrowful. And He said to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death. Christ is afraid, while Peter is not afraid. Christ is afraid; Peter says: I will lay down my life for you (John 13). Christ says: My soul is troubled. Both are true, and each is full of reason, because the one who is lower does not fear, and the one who is higher carries the emotion of fear. For he, as a man, does not understand the power of death. But He, being established as God in the body, exposes the frailty of the flesh, so that the impiety of those who deny the mystery of the Incarnation might be excluded. Indeed, He said this, and Manichaeus did not believe, Valentinus denied, and Marcion judged it a phantom. However, He equaled the human set forth in the truth of the body to such an extent by emotion, that He would say: Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will (Matthew 26). Therefore He took up my will, took up my sorrow. I confidently name sorrow because I preach the cross. My will is what He called His own. Because as a man He took up my sorrow, as a man He spoke.

But not what I will, but what you (will). I did not come (he says) to do my will, but the will of him who sent me (John 5). He spoke of his own will, which he temporarily assumed from the virgin; but the will of him who sent him, he marked that, namely, which eternally and eternally he had in common with the Father. He prays for the cup to pass, to truly show that he was also a man. However, remembering also why he was sent, he completes the mission for which he was sent, and cries out: But not what I will, but what you (will). If death dies without me dying, namely in the flesh, let this cup pass, he says. But because this will not happen otherwise, he says: Not what I will, but what you (will). And that he, invoking the Father with a double name, says Abba Father, shows that he is the God and Savior of both peoples, namely the Jew and the Gentile. For indeed, Abba signifies what Father means. But abba is Hebrew, father is Greek and Latin. Therefore, in order to teach that both people would believe in him and would invoke him, he himself first invokes him in both languages. For he is the good shepherd, who, giving his life for his sheep, makes one fold out of two flocks. Therefore, with the voice of both flocks, he asks for the Father's help, so that we, informed by his example, when we feel adversities coming, invoking God the Father as the Hebrew, Abba, with one devotion of faith and charity, may seek heavenly help. Hence the admirable doctor, taking the form of teaching from the Lord, thus addresses his listeners: You have received the Spirit of adoption of sons, in which we cry out: Abba Father (Romans 8). Truly Abba to those who are from the Israelite people, us Father, who from the Gentiles came to the faith of Christ.

(ubi sup.) After that our Lord had prayed three times, and had obtained by His prayers that the fear of the Apostles should be amended by future repentance, He, being tranquil as to His Passion, goes to His persecutors, concerning the coming of whom the Evangelist says, And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve.

(ubi sup.) But Judas had still something of the shame of a disciple, for he did not openly betray Him to his persecutors, but by the token of a kiss. Wherefore it goes on: And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.

(ubi sup.) With envy and with a wicked confidence, he calls Him master, and gives Him a kiss, in betraying Him. But the Lord receives the kiss of the traitor, not to teach us to deceive, but lest he should seem to avoid betrayal, and at the same time to fulfil that Psalm, Among them that are enemies unto peace, I labour for peace. (Ps. 120:5) It goes on: And they laid hands on him, and took him.

(ubi sup.) Peter did this, as John declares, with the same ardent mind with which he did all things; for he knew how Phineas had by punishing sacrilegious persons received the reward of righteousness and of perpetual priesthood.

(ubi sup.) As if He had said, it is foolish to seek with swords and staves Him, who offers Himself to you of His own accord, and to search, as for one who hides Himself, by night and by means of a traitor, for Him who taught daily in the temple.

(ubi sup.) In this is fulfilled the word, which the Lord had spoken, that all His disciples should be offended in Him that same night. There follows: And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body, that is, he had no other clothing but this linen cloth. It goes on: And they laid hold on him, and he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. That is, he fled from them, whose presence and whose deeds he abhorred, not from the Lord, for whom his love remained fixed in his mind, when absent from Him in body.

(ubi sup.) For that he was a young man at that time, is evident from his long sojourn in the flesh. Perhaps he escaped from the hands of those who held him for the time, and afterwards got back his garment and returned, mingling under cover of the darkness with those who were leading Jesus, as though he was one of them, until he arrived at the door of the High Priest, to whom he was known, as he himself testifies in the Gospel. But as Peter, who washed away the sin of his denial with the tears of penitence, shows the recovery of those who fall away in time of martyrdom, so the other disciples who prevented their actual seizure, teach the prudence of flight to those who feel themselves unequal to undergo tortures.