Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles-Solemnity
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
God uses the weak things of this world to confound and shame the strong. So that it be shown that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us (see 2 Corinthians 4:6-7). Therefore our weaknesses, mistakes, good and ugly pasts are not beyond the transformative power of grace if we submit them to Jesus.
Today is the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles. Indeed, this is a celebration of the triumph of grace over weakness and ugly past. So, if we are weak, have made some mistakes in the past, then this solemnity gives us hope and invites us to cooperate with and be open to God’s grace which brings out beauty from ugliness, and strength from weakness.
Today, as it were, we call to mind the sort of foundation upon which the church stands. A weak foundation of human frailty but strengthened only by the power of God. We all know the sort of person St. Peter was? Though Innocent and full of zeal and love for God, he was not the wisest of men. Unfortunately, he often got things wrong. But at the same time God uses all those mistakes to draw him deeper into the mystery he was called to serve. The same is true about us. If we bring all our mistakes before God and are patient, he will transform them.
St Peter always messed things up soon after he had done something nice. Example: He asked Jesus to command him to walk upon the sea, he walked upon the sea. But soon after, he lost faith and started sinking. He was inspired by the Holy Spirit, as we heard in today’s Gospel, and he professed Jesus as “the Christ the Son of the living God”. But moments later, Jesus rebuked him and said satan get behind me. He promised to die for Jesus and was the one that said, to whom shall we go, you have the message of eternal life. But soon after Jesus was arrested, he denied him three times. Then after Jesus was Crucified, Peter got so frustrated that he decided to return to his former job, as a fisherman. He even took with himself some of the apostles. Hence, jeopardizing everything that Jesus died for.
Yet in today’s Gospel, Jesus chose to build his church upon such a weak foundation. “Peter you are rock, and upon this rock I build my Church. The Gate of hell or the underworld will never prevail over it”. How may times have we looked at our weaknesses and our past, family background and because of that we doubt the promises and power of God upon our lives.
Let’s talk about St. Paul. Who doesn’t not know how Paul persecuted the church in such a violent manner that at the mention of his name Christians trembled? In fact, at the martyrdom of St. Stephen, we were told that Paul was consenting to his death (Acts 8:1). He was determined to arrest Christians and throw them into prison before he himself was arrested by Jesus on his way to Damascus.
Because of the knowledge of his past, St Paul says (1 Corinthians 15:9-11), “I am the least of the apostles because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God which is with me”. It is to the grace of God upon Paul’s life that we owe most of the books we have in the New Testament Text. St. Paul worked so hard for Christ that he could say, in today’s second reading, that he has been poured out like a libation. Both Peter and Paul with their own blood, as today’s entrance antiphon said, planted the church and drank the chalice of the lord and became the friends of God.
So, Jesus built his church on a very weak and feeble human foundation. But this foundation is made strong by grace so that it be shown that the transcendent power belongs to God and no to us. The same is true about us Christians. Regardless of our weaknesses and our past mistakes, it has pleased the Lord, that these earthen vessels which we are, should be imbued with the divine treasures. Therefore, we are not discouraged by our weaknesses and past mistakes. Rather we focus on what the Lord says we are and could become by the power of His grace as we continue to submit to his word. There is not weakness, no addiction, and past or history beyond the reach of grace.
I now invite you to bring before the Lord your weaknesses and pasts whatever your story might have been. And then be patient as God begins to work on them with you. Do not forget that with the Lord nothing shall be impossible Luke 1:37.
Let us pray
Eternal Father, as your grace triumphed in the lives of SS Peter and Paul and brought out strength from weakness and glory from ugly past, may our past and weaknesses not discourage and distract us from what we can become in you. We make our prayers through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen
The Lord be with you
May the Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Go in Peace and Happy Feast.
Saints Peter and Paul------- Pray for us