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Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. In blessing Peter, Jesus not only accepts the titles Christ and Son of God which Peter attributes to him, but declares the proclamation a divine revelation by stating that his Father in Heaven had revealed it to Peter. [5]
It is said that Christ allowed this, so that Peter might recognise his own weakness, and might humble himself, and ask Christ to increase his faith, so that in time he might become the rock of the Faith: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build My Church."
Augustine: "Or; That the disciples here say, It is a phantasm, figures those who yielding to the Devil shall doubt of the coming of Christ.That Peter cries to the Lord for help that he should not be drowned, signifies that He shall purge His Church with certain trials even after the last persecution; as Paul also notes, saying, He shall be saved, yet so as by fire (1 Corinthians 3:15)."
In the Gospel of Luke is a record of Christ telling Peter: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." In a reminiscent [87] scene in John's epilogue, Peter affirms three times that he loves Jesus.
And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. The New International Version translates the passage as: And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).
There is some question as to whether Peter was in doubt about Jesus' identity. However it generally believed that Peter would have been very familiar with Christ's voice, gesture, and dress, and so when he said, "if it is You", it is a remark of joy, of one who desires to come quickly to Christ, and be near the one he loved above all things.
But as the mother bears on her wings and brings back to the nest her chick which has left the nest before its time and has fallen, so did Christ. And when they were come into the boat, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the boat came and worshipped him, saying, Truly thou art the Son of God." [3]
The Navicella (literally "little ship") or Bark of St. Peter, [2] of Old Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, was a large and famous mosaic by Giotto di Bondone that occupied a large part of the wall above the entrance arcade, facing the main facade of the basilica across the courtyard.