FOLLOWING!

On the Appian Way, southeast of Rome, and near the catacombs of St. Sebastian is a small church: Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Piante, aka Church of St. Mary of the Soles. Yup, “soles.” As in feet.

Apparently, after/during the persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Nero (in the early 60s CE), friends tried to persuade Peter to leave town. The non-canonical Acts of St. Peter tells the story:

And the rest of the brothers, together with Marcellus, beseeched him to depart. But Peter said unto them: “Shall we be runaways, brothers?”
And they said to him: “No, but so that you may still be able to serve the Lord.”
And he obeyed the brothers’ voice and departed alone …. And as he departed the city, he saw the Lord entering into Rome. And when he saw Him, he said: “Lord, where are You going [in Latin, Quo vadis, Domine?] like this?”
And the Lord said unto him: “I am going into Rome to be crucified.”
And Peter said unto Him: “Lord, are You (being) crucified again?”
He said unto him: “Yes, Peter, I am (being) crucified again.”
And Peter came to himself: and having seen the Lord ascending up into heaven, he returned to Rome, rejoicing, and glorifying the Lord, because He said: “I am being crucified”—that fate was about to befall Peter.
Acts of St. Peter 35

And, as the story goes, Peter returned, was captured, and executed by crucifixion. He, however, asked to, and was, crucified upside down, considering himself unworthy to crucified like his Master. That was perhaps anticipated in Jesus’ prediction:

“Truly, truly, I say to you,
… when you grow old,
you will stretch out your hands
and someone else will gird you,
and bring you where
you do not wish to go.”
John 21:18

It is said that the spot where the church is, was the very point where the apostle fleeing Rome met the Savior returning to Rome.

In the church are two footprints in marble, said to be the footprints/”soles” of Jesus. Hence the name. The church is also called Domine Quo Vadis Church (i.e., Lord-Where-Are-You-Going? Church).

“Following” was what the disciples of Jesus—both the Twelve and those in every generation thereafter—had been called to do.

And He [Jesus] summoned
the crowd with His disciples,
and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to follow after Me,
he must deny himself,
and take up his cross
and follow Me.”
Mark 8:34

To “follow” is a code word for discipleship, particularly in the Gospel of Mark that is outlined as a journey with Jesus, from Galilee to Jerusalem … to die!

Yes, of course, the Twelve did “follow” Jesus.

Immediately they left their nets
and followed Him.
Mark 1:18

Peter, himself, confesses it.

Peter began to say to Him,
“Behold, we have left everything
and followed You.”
Mark 10:28

But in the end, everyone failed Jesus, and fled, when he was arrested.

And they all left Him and fled.
Mark 14:50

Christian life is a “following” of Jesus on the way. Jesus affirmed that He was the way.

“I am the way, and the truth,
and the life;
no one comes to the Father
but through Me.”
John 14:6

In fact, the early church is called “The Way” several times in the Book of Acts.

This same Peter declared later:

For you have been called
for this purpose,
since Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example for you
to follow in His steps.
1 Peter 2:21

Keep walking! He goes ahead of you!