Christ the Cornerstone

SS. Peter and Paul are pillars of apostolic ministry

“You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).

“I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:6-7).

Next Tuesday, June 29, we will honor two saints who serve as pillars of our Church’s apostolic ministry. St. Peter represents the rock that gives stability and order to everything we do as followers of Jesus. St. Paul represents our forward momentum as missionary disciples who strive to “compete well, finish the race and keep the faith.”

Together, Peter and Paul reflect the “both/and” principle that runs through so much of our Church’s teaching and practice. Like these two great saints, our Church is both immovable as a rock when it comes to essential truths and a dynamic, irresistible force when it comes to proclaiming the joy of the Gospel to all nations and peoples.

We understandably look to these great saints to guide us in our efforts to carry out the “great commission” given to us by Jesus before he ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to empower us as missionary disciples.

As Pope Francis frequently reminds us, we have to move beyond our comfort zones in order to be the face of Jesus to others, especially those “on the peripheries.” This means we must be as bold as St. Peter and as relentless as St. Paul in our commitment to share our faith with everyone.

In the Gospel reading for the Solemnity of SS. Peter and Paul (Mt 16:13-19), Jesus asks, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Mt 16:13) The disciples equivocate—some say Elijah, some say Jeremiah or one of the prophets. “But who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:15) Jesus asks. Peter is the one who boldly proclaims: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16).

We know that Peter is human, and that he will hesitate and fail when he is put to the test on Good Friday, but with the grace of the Holy Spirit in the long run he remains faithful, the rock that Jesus expects him to be and the shepherd who feeds the lambs entrusted to his care.

In the second reading (2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18), St. Paul acknowledges that his success in proclaiming the Gospel is entirely due to the grace of God. He tells Timothy (and us) that:

“The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 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” (2 Tm 4:17-18).

Paul’s relentless energy and persistence in the face of every obstacle come not from himself, but from the Lord who “rescued” him and brought him home safely to God’s heavenly kingdom. Paul is human also, but his weaknesses are overcome by the Lord who stands by him and gives him strength.

On the Solemnity of SS. Peter and Paul, we will pray that the same Holy Spirit who gave courage to St. Peter and perseverance to St. Paul will empower all baptized Christians to be bold and energetic as “spirit-filled evangelizers.” We especially pray for our Holy Father Pope Francis, the successor of St. Peter, and for all the clergy, religious and lay leaders who have accepted responsibility for missionary work—here at home and in foreign lands. May these two pillars of the Church’s apostolic ministry serve as inspiration and examples for all pastoral leaders and all evangelists throughout the universal Church.

According to tradition, both Peter and Paul ended their ministry in Rome around the year 64. Peter was crucified upside down, and Paul was beheaded. Both gave everything they had out of love for Jesus and out of fidelity to his commands—to feed his sheep and to proclaim his Good News.

As we will pray in the Entrance Antiphon for the Solemnity of SS. Peter and Paul:

These are the ones who, living in the flesh, planted the Church with their blood; they drank the chalice of the Lord and became the friends of God.

Let’s look to these pillars of our Church’s ministry to guide, inspire and shepherd us as we struggle to proclaim (in our words and our actions): “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16).

SS. Peter and Paul, pray for us. †