Readings: Acts 12:1-11; 2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18; Mt 16:13-19
Today we have the joy of celebrating two of the greatest Saints in the history of the Church. In the Gospel reading, we hear the very familiar story of Peter’s original confession of faith. Jesus tells Peter just how extraordinary this was because it was not Peter himself who recognized our Lord’s divinity, but it was a grace given to Peter by God.
For us to understand just how extraordinary this was, we must realize that Peter was the first human person we read about who professed faith in the divinity of our Lord since the time Jesus was an infant. St. Joseph, Anna, Simeon, Elizabeth, and Zachariah were all deceased; our blessed Lady was the only one left who knew that Jesus was God. She remained silent, but was probably praying for the Apostles to be given the knowledge of Who Jesus truly is.
It would be one thing for the Apostles to believe they were following and serving the Messiah, according to the way Jewish people of the time would have thought of Messiah. But to believe they were chosen by God Himself and that they were walking with the Son of God and learning from Him requires faith on an entirely different level.
We also know that it is one thing to profess one’s faith, but it is another thing to live it. St. Peter may have been the first to proclaim the truth about our Lord’s divinity, but each Apostle and every Christian person since, must make this same act of faith. We know that Peter and the other Apostles struggled with doubts after acknowledging the truth of our Lord’s divinity. Many of us have experienced similar trials. These trials are necessary because they strengthen and deepen our faith.
Think of the example of St. Peter. He made this noble profession of our Lord’s divinity, but when he was put to the test, he denied that he even knew Jesus! This was probably one of the most decisive moments in Peter’s life. Not because of his failure, but because of what he learned from his failure. I suspect that after having the opportunity to think about what he did, his faith and his resolve were much stronger.
We know Peter was imprisoned on several occasions, but never do we see him panicking, fretting, or doubting. So intimidating was Peter’s example that Herod had him double chained and guarded by four squads of four soldiers each! Peter was no longer the man who would draw his sword and cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. He was now a man whose faith in Jesus had transformed him into a man of peace and gentleness. But because the pagans did not understand what made Peter so different from them, they were terrified of him.
We all know St. Paul’s story of conversion to belief that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. His fiery personality did not change after his conversion, but was transformed from being violently angry to being fervently zealous. God used St. Paul’s personality to bring the Gospel to the ends of the known world. But, like the rest of the Apostles, his faith needed to be tried and tested in order to be proven.
St. Paul lists the trials he endured in Second Corinthians. In today’s reading, he summarizes it all very succinctly. He says he was rescued from the lion’s mouth and states that God will rescue him from every evil threat and bring him safely into the Kingdom of Heaven. Unlike the fallacy so prevalent today that everyone goes to Heaven, St. Paul makes clear why he could be so confident. He says that he had competed well, finished the race, and kept the faith. In other words, he proved his faith through the sufferings he endured and could now be confident in his reward because he had remained faithful through all the trials.
These great Saints provide us with the example of the Christian life that is required of each of us. We must profess our faith in Jesus, we need to live that faith and bring that faith to others, perhaps through our words, but certainly through our example. Like us, Peter and Paul believed in Jesus but did not know how strong that belief was in them. Therefore, like us, their faith had to be tested in order to be strengthened and proven.
They came through their trials with greater faith and confidence in the Lord, and their example is so profound that we still celebrate it two thousand years later! But their example is not just for our edification, it is for our instruction. St. Peter and St. Paul followed Jesus faithfully and by doing so, they have shown us the path to eternal life!
Fr. Altier’s column appears regularly in The Wanderer, a national Catholic weekly published in St. Paul, Minn. For information about subscribing to The Wanderer, please visit www.thewandererpress.com.
