Peter's Tears

Petrus prorupit ad lacrimas, nihil voce precatur. Invenio quod fleverit, non invenio quid dixerit. Lacrimas eius lego, satisfactionem non lego. Recte plane Petrus flevit et tacuit, quia quod defleri solet, non solet excusari, et quod defendi non potest, ablui potest. Lavant enim lacrimae delictum quod voce pudor est confiteri. Lacrimae ergo verecundiae consulunt pariter et saluti, nec erubescunt in petendo, et impetrant in rogando: lacrymae, inquam, tacitae quodammodo preces sunt, veniam non postulant, et merentur. Causam non dicunt, et misericordiam consequuntur; nisi quod utiliores lacrymarum preces sunt quam sermonum; quai sermo in precando forte fallit, lacryma omnino non fallit; sermo interdum non totum profert negotium. Lacrimae semper totum produnt affectum. Et ideo Petrus iam non utitur sermone, quo fefellerat, quo peccaverat, quo fidem amiserat, ne per id ei non credatur ad confitendum quo usus fuerat ad negandum; ac per hoic mavult et cuasam suam flere, quam dicere, et quod voce negaverat, lacrymis confiteri. Invenio et aliud cur tacuerit Petrus, ne tam cito veniae postulatio per impudentiam plus offenderet quam impetraret. Solet enim citius mereri indulgentiam quia verecundius deprecatur. Sanctus Maximus Taurinensis, Homilia LIII De poenitentia Petri et ostiaria ancilla Source: Migne PL 57.351a-352a

Peter broke down in tears, he spoke no prayer. We find, then, that he wept, we do not find what he said. I read about his tears, I do not read about his giving of satisfaction. Certainly Peter was right to be weep and be silent, because that which is accustomed to weep is not accustomed to make excuses, and because he is not able to offer defence, he is able to be cleansed. he washes away crime with tears because the voice is ashamed to confess. Therefore tears counsel modesty together with salvation, which do not blush in asking, and beseeching, and begging. Tears, I say, are as silent prayers, not demanding forgiveness, but meriting it. They who do not speak of excuse receive mercy. Tears are more useful prayers than speech because speech in prayer may lie, but tears do not deceive; sometimes speech is of no benefit to an affair. Tears always lead to affection. And therefore Peter does not employ speech, by which he lied, by which he sinned, by which he cast away faith, not by that does he trust to confess what he has done with his denial. And therefore he prefers to weep over his state than to speak of it, and to deny his voice so that his tears confess. And I find something else in Peter's silence, that he not be so quick in requesting forgiveness that by impudence he offend in what he sought. For he will more swiftly merit kindness because he pleads more modestly. Saint Maximus of Turin, from Homily 53, On The Penitence of Peter and The Maid Who Kept The Door