Saint Peter's at Gallicantu
"And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me."
– Luke 22:34 I remember this church having a lot of symbolism, biblical ruins, and being situated in a location with a great view of the City of David and Jerusalem’s valleys. Gallicantu means “cock crow” and this church dedicated to Peter was built in commemoration of his denials of Christ. It is said that this is the location where once stood the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas. It was in this palace where Jesus was taken at night to be tried before Caiaphus and the Sanhedrin (see Matt. 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:54-71; John 18: 12-14,19-24). Underneath the church are ruins of a pit prison and a scourging room dating back to the time of Christ. It is likely that in this location Christ was held as a prisoner until the next morning when he was tried again by the Sanhedrin then sent to be tried by Pilate (see Matt. 27:1-2; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66-71). During this time Peter camped out just outside the palace and when confronted about knowing Jesus and being one of His disciples, Peter denied the accusations, thus fulfilling Christ’s prophecy that Peter would deny Him three times (Matt. 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:15-18,25-27). I can only imagine what Peter must have felt when he heard the sound of the cock crowing bringing back to his memory like the breaking of a flood gate this prophecy and filling him with a guilt so strong that he “wept bitterly.” Peter loved Jesus, but he was not perfect. I admire that Peter, rather than continuing down the path of fear and denial, soon turned around and become one of Christ’s strongest missionaries and leader of His church. Peter to me is a remarkable man who went on to do remarkable things including performing miracles and sacrificing his own life for the gospel’s sake. I hope one day to be even half of the man that Peter was. An interesting side note and opinion by Spencer W. Kimball to Peter’s denial of the Christ is worth mentioning here. He suggests in a speech entitled Peter, My Brother, that Christ actually commanded Peter to deny Him in order to save Peter’s life and preserve the leadership of the church. I like to believe that this is what could have actually happened, but in either case, I still admire Peter as a warrior of the gospel. To read excerpts of Spencer W. Kimball’s remarks, which are very insightful, click on this link. |