tongue lashing
" 'Of course he does,' Peter replied. Then Jesus on entering the house asked, without giving him time to speak: 'What is your opinion, Simon?' " —Matthew 17:25
Jesus told Peter to go fishing. Peter opened the mouth of the first fish he caught and discovered "there a coin worth twice the temple tax" (Mt 17:27). Likewise, what came out of the fish's mouth was probably worth twice as much as what came out of Peter's mouth. He took his foot out of his mouth only to change feet. He had a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. For example, Peter shot off his mouth at the Last Supper, boasting he would never desert Jesus and would even die for Him (see Lk 22:33). Yet, after the Last Supper, Peter fell asleep and wouldn't even open His mouth for an hour of prayer.
However, the good news is that the Holy Spirit got Peter's tongue. Immediately, Peter's words were valuable. His golden words were used by the Lord to lead three thousand into God's kingdom on the first Pentecost (Acts 2:41). He praised the Lord in other languages and led peoples of many different languages to a personal commitment to Jesus. Peter's words healed, raised the dead, and delivered others from demons (Acts 9:32ff). His words were Spirit and life (Jn 6:63). Give your speech to the Lord. He will teach you "what to say and how to speak" (Jn 12:49).
Prayer: Father, may I receive the Spirit into my heart and then speak out of the abundance of my heart (Lk 6:45).
Promise: "Like the bow which appears in the clouds on a rainy day was the splendor that surrounded Him. Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." —Ez 1:28
Praise: St. Hippolytus wrote the earliest known Christian commentary on Scripture, fell into error, but was finally reconciled with the Church. He gave his life for Jesus as a martyr.
Reference: (For related teaching, order our leaflet, Seek Prophecy, or our audio tapes AV 14A-1, AV 14A-3, AV 14B-1.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, March 30, 2012
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