The church honors today the two great apostles, who in spite of their background or weakness became leaders of the early church in Rome and in Eastern Europe. Who would have thought that a simple fisherman and an unpretentious tent-maker would one day become the pillars of the church! Peter and Paul’s life story can very well be described as the ‘rags-to-riches’ journey. And yet the spiritual and historical influence and impact they left on the history of Christianity is truly amazing.
St Peter was one of the privileged three who
were close to Jesus on various occasions, along with John and James. He was the first
apostle to perform a miracle, and we admire the triple affirmation of faith to
erase completely the triple denial during Christ’s passion. He was chosen to be
the first Pope of the Church realizing that Jesus saw something special in him
- not John who remained faithful till the end, who wrote a beautiful Gospel,
but Peter - the rough and tough type, the weakling who became the rock.
St Paul on the other hand made his turnaround
quickly and in a determined way. From being so helpless at his conversion, to
becoming a strong powerful spokesperson for Christ, traveling hundreds of
miles, on foot, by boat, probably on horseback, writing prolifically his
letters to communities he had previously visited. Then he was sent to Rome to
be tried as a Roman citizen, only to have his ship wrecked on my homeland Malta
(Acts chapters 27-28).
Let us remember today the dominant image these
two apostles represent in our church....Peter, the rock, the foundation, and Paul,
the messenger par excellence of Jesus.
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