29th JUNE, FEAST OF THE APOSTLES PETER AND PAUL
SOLEMNITY
I Reading: Acts 12:1-11
II Reading: 2 Tim 4:6-8.17-18
Gospel: Mt 16:13-19
We celebrate today the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul. Let us
thank God for these two apostles the light and strength they needed to announce
the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout their life-time, and witnessed to
Christ at their death through their shedding of their blood. Both were executed
in Rome around the year 67 A.D., that is, some 35 years after Jesus’ death and
resurrection.
These two saints are known as the “Pillars of the Church.” The Church
of Christ is built by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ), by the blood of the
martyrs and believers. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus. Jesus fixed his eyes on him
and said “You are Simon, son of John; you are to be called Cephas, which means
a rock (Jn 1:42).” In today’s Gospel Jesus confirmed and strengthened the faith
of Peter and gave him the power and authority to carry out the mission of Christ
and nothing should destroy or diminish the mission of Christ while proclaiming
the Good News of Christ.
Simon Peter was an ordinary person and illiterate (Jewish mission)
where as Paul was the highly educated person (Gentile mission). Both invested their
whole energy in Christ and loved him so much and followed him immediately till
the end of their lives even unto death. Even persecution and opposition did not
stop them spreading the Gospel of Christ. Although they had lots of differences
and contracting characters, still they worked together (Unity) and preached the
Good News to the people (diversity) and continued the mission of Christ with a missionary
zeal (universal mission for the salvation of souls).
Let us ask for God’s grace to strengthen our faith in Christ and
imbibe the spirit of these two saints to continue the mission of Jesus Christ
despite persecution, rejection, opposition and temptation in our vocational journey
of Christ.
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