57. Moreover, that thou mayest know that it
is after His Manhood that He entreats, and in virtue of His Godhead
that He commands, it is written for thee in the Gospel that He said to
Peter: “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail
not.” S.
Luke xxii. 32. To
the same Apostle, again, when on a former occasion he said, “Thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” He made answer:
“Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build My Church, and I
will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” S. Matt. xvi. 18. Could He not, then, strengthen
the faith of the man to whom, acting on His own authority, He gave the
kingdom, whom He called the Rock, thereby declaring him to be the
foundation of the Church? Consider, then, the manner of His
entreaty, the occasions of His commanding. He entreats, when He
is shown to us as on the eve of suffering: He commands, when He
is believed to be the Son of God.