In any race, especially in the race of life, winners don't quit. Even if they pass through thick and thin or go through a heated furnace; they become better and more elegant like gold. The stories of Peter and Paul, who had not-so-good past in 'themselves' but got a great future with God summarise the story of grace at its peak. The red vestment for this solemnity is indicative of the kind of death the two icons passed through signifying the shape of witnessing to Christ; they denied before bouncing back to defend. In the 4th century sermon of Augustine of Hippo, he expressed "both apostles share the same feast, for these two were one, even though they died separately, Peter went first, and Paul followed but this day is made holy for us by the apostles' blood". Thus, who are these men?
St Peter was an impetuous man. Though called the rock, he was more like fickle sand with his quick temper and changing mood. So eager to be near the Lord that he would walk on water but conspicuously absent from calvary. One moment he spoke of great faith in Jesus and other moments, he sounded like a spokesman for Satan. He boasts of his loyalty and later swears on oath he never knew him (O'Flynn). After He denied his Lord three times, he wept about it. Some people don't bounce back from the terrible and costly mistakes they have made in life, but Peter did. He wept because he realized how badly he had failed his master. However, we can't make a balanced assessment of Peter based on his weaknesses and falls without looking at his strengths. He got the keys to the kingdom after revealing the identity of Jesus and Christ referred to him as 'Rock' a sign of stability and endurance. His post-resurrection experience was a feature of his come- back where he preached fearlessly and led the church in one of the greatest persecutions.
Apostle Paul had its own high and low moments. Paul, formerly known as Saul, approved the killings of some Christians, but his experience on the way to Damascus became his turning point. He bounced back to the side of Christ through his missionary activities; his prolific 13 epistles of the New Testament and preaching to the Gentiles were soul-wrenching. He was flogged many times and suffered setbacks; he also experienced shipwrecks on his missionary journey. Yet, he held unto Christ because it wasn't doing all by himself. After all, when Christ is in you, you become a new creation, old things shall pass away and give room for new( 2 Cor 5:17).
The Church is a blend of Peter and Paul with people who missed their marks before getting it right in their search for God. Peter stands for the teaching authority, coordinating and governing, which exemplify the office of the Pope. Paul stands for the adventurous missionary nature of the church, preaching the message of Christ from sea to sea. Peter needed Paul and Paul was his service in the communities. While Paul didn't overtax or overburden the growing communities focusing on money; Peter didn't run the church as a private business. The community sense and collaborative efforts of the two apostles show that everyone has a significant role in the church. We must play that role lest there will be loopholes, the clergy and laity, young and the old, husbands and wives. Despite the imperfect conditions, the early Christian communities rode the vehicle of evangelization with the help of Christ who strengthens them, and St Paul says, with Christ, we can do all things (Philippians 4;13).
Initially, Paul didn't know that "to persecute Christians is to persecute Christ", and Peter didn't understand that his denial was not a defence mechanism but a fearful tendency. Ignorance made them jump so high on slippery slope till the scale fell off their eyes. Today, the gospel text reveals that It is imperative to know the identity of Jesus so that we can relate with him correctly. Many people in the time of Jesus didn't really know him, and they were drowned in guesswork about his mission, so how can they genuinely follow him? Someone can be a leader in the church without really knowing Christ and others could have received communion for 50 years without a spiritual encounter with Christ. How can we love who we don't know? How can we serve who we do not love? Leadership in the church is based on loving service and not lining our deep pockets. The apostles served the church in their capacity because their life of services shows the significance they place in God, the church, and their positions. And that's is a big challenge on us today.
The two saints we celebrate today can be considered winners because they wrote the gospel cheque with their blood by not quitting. A bloody witness has been the case since the inception of the church; people are still dying in large numbers because they are not scared to speak the truth. In so many places in the world today, modern martyrs are called to pay the ultimate price for their faith. The feast day is relevant to you and I. We should be encouraged that no matter how tough the Christian life is, despite its twists and turns, ups and downs, challenges and inconsistencies, we must never give up. Peter had his cross, Paul had his crosses, but they never gave up. Being an authentic Christian may entail contending against powerful forces on the physical level and spiritual level to which Paul says to the Ephesians 6:13-18 you need the armour of God, the belt of truth, the shield of righteousness, the shoes of salvation, the sword of the spirit and prayer of spiritual alertness.
The lessons are crystal clear. Firstly, the past of the apostles were forgiven because the Lord doesn't condemn anyone nor write anyone off. Peter denied him, but God still appointed him. Paul persecuted him, but God made him an instrument of peace. The bottom line is, there is no one that God can't use, but you must be ready to be seduced by God and not material gains. Secondly, the Lord gave them a second chance. As humans, we are always afraid to give people another chance because we are so scared of getting hurt or we don't believe people can change. These apostles knew what it meant to be sinners, and so they preached with the compassion of the heart. Above all, they learnt from their mistakes and turned their dirts into diamonds for Christ. Like Peter and Paul who benefited from the grace of mercy and doors of a second chance, can we keep the windows opened for total change and transformational spirit when we are offered forgiveness or need to give to others? Let us also pray for the Pope and leaders of the church that they may continue to be fearless from generation to generation. May the Lord sustain the church and keep us true to his teachings.
@FadaCharles.
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