Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

Today’s homily placed the lives of these two Apostles side by side, highlighting similarities that may otherwise be glossed over.

1. The lives of both men were altered at the point of one question from Jesus:
Peter: Do you love me more then these?
Paul: Why do you persecute me?
Peter was grieved by those words, while Paul was blinded following his question.

2. In both lives, we see a use of two names: Simon became Peter, and Saul was known as Paul. Their updated names, when translated meant “rock” and “small”. Together then, you get a dynamic combo of “small-rock” but don’t be deceived, those two were big witnesses, and even bigger martyrs for the faith.

3. Both men did not get it right from the onset: Peter denied Jesus three times, and Paul persecuted the church immensely. Yet, Jesus found a way for Peter to feed his flock and for Paul to bear his light to the gentiles. That is our cue that God is able to work with us through our faults if we acknowledge those weaknesses. The purpose of His grace in turn is to swallow up our weaknesses, so that we stand strong in Him.

On a day like this, our reminder is don’t be a  Christian only as a statistic! Because we all need to arrive at the point where “to live is Christ and to die is gain”. That is the weightier matter.

#sly