Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, June 29, 2023
Acts 12:1-11; Ps 34:2-9; 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18; Mt 16:13-19
There are two things that separate just men from those that are not, faith, and trust. On this feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, we hear two stories of that faith and trust. First of Peter who had faith and trusted in the Lord’s angel to lead him out of prison, and Paul, who in his own weaknesses, relied totally on God to give him the strength and courage to persevere in the midst of trials. Their faithfulness and trust bear witness to all they meet and to whom they proclaim the Gospel to. Peter’s miraculous escape is a message that no matter what persecution or threats are given against you, God will provide. Peter was emboldened by this event so much that he proclaims, “Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me.” Paul similarly declares, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.” This faithfulness and trust Saints Peter and Paul show should be a wakeup call for us to act the same. How are we doing during these times? Are we trusting in God with faith that He will save us from our enemies? For those who pray the Liturgy of Hours every morning, we pray the canticle from Luke’s Gospel (1:68-79), where we ask God “to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight, all the days of my life.” It is a prayer of faithfulness and trust, one that should be our prayer throughout the day. For without it, we will be subjected to all kinds of persecution and our own weaknesses. It is through prayer that we are protected from the hands of all who hate us. The world is, and has been, a mighty place of evil, a place that does not know God. It is our job to proclaim the truth wherever, and whenever we can. Through the truth, all mankind will be set free.
To help us, Jesus commissions Peter in the Gospel today, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” It is the time Christ establishes the Church with Peter as the head. In addition, Jesus also gives Peter the commission as the authority of the Church. “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth, will be loosed in heaven.” All the disciples (and subsequent priests) are given the ability to forgive sins later in Mathew’s Gospel (18:18), but the specific role of the one who has authority over all the Church, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven,” belongs solely to Peter.
What does this mean for us? We must first pray often to keep our minds is centered on Christ. As mentioned earlier, daily prayer is our first line of defense. Without it, we are weak, as Paul says. Secondly, since we are a weak and sinful people, we must seek out Confession and Reconciliation for our transgressions. It is only then will God give us the graces we need to survive in this world. It is worth repeating what St. Paul says as he nears his impending death, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Let us hope we can say the same at our last breath.
Saint James Catholic Church 