FIESTA DE SAN PEDRO Y SAN PABLO

Queridos hermanos y hermanas: hoy, nuestra Iglesia nos invita a celebrar la fiesta de san Pedro y san Pablo, apóstoles. Ambos fueron llamados a dar su vida por el servicio del Evangelio de Jesucristo, sufrieron persecución y fueron asesinados por causa de él. Antes de continuar, permítanme hacerles algunas preguntas: ¿fueron Pedro y Pablo discípulos de Jesús? ¿conoció Pablo a Jesús en persona? ¿recibió Pablo las llaves del reino? ¿Es Pedro el primer papa de la Iglesia?

Hermanos y hermanas, hoy celebramos a estos dos apóstoles, que fueron grandes pilares de nuestra Iglesia. Pedro fue discípulo de Cristo, fue llamado personalmente por Jesús y tuvo la oportunidad de caminar con él. En el Evangelio de hoy vemos cómo Pedro, después de confesar su fe en Jesús como Mesías, recibe una misión especial por parte de Jesús, quien le dijo: «Tú eres Pedro, y sobre esta piedra edificaré mi Iglesia, y las puertas del infierno no prevalecerán contra ella». Al decirle esto, Jesús lo puso al frente de los discípulos para servir y confirmar a sus hermanos en la fe y la unidad. Pedro desarrolló su actividad apostólica principalmente con los judíos, en las ciudades de Jerusalén, Antioquía de Siria y Roma. Fue crucificado en el año 64, en la persecución de Nerón.

Pablo, a diferencia de Pedro, no conoció personalmente a Jesús, sino que fue llamado por Cristo en una visión espiritual de camino a Damasco para convertirse en apóstol de Jesús y llevar el evangelio a los gentiles, después de haber sido perseguidor de la Iglesia. Viajó por todo el Mediterráneo para llevar el mensaje a todos los que encontraba. Fue un misionero del Evangelio de Dios y escribió muchas cartas a diversas iglesias, que constituyen un valioso alimento para la vida espiritual de muchas iglesias en el mundo actual. Fue decapitado en las afueras de Roma en el año 67.

Hermanos y hermanas, al celebrar a san Pedro y a san Pablo, celebramos a dos apóstoles con personalidades diferentes, pero unidos por la misma misión de predicar el Evangelio. Los dos nos recuerdan que, en el fondo, nuestro servicio a Dios está motivado por una llamada y una liberación que nos ponen al servicio del Señor. Pedro fue transformado por el amor paciente de Jesús y liberado de la cárcel para salir a proclamar su evangelio. Pablo quería derrotar a Jesús persiguiendo a sus seguidores, llevándolos a la cárcel y al martirio, pero fue el Señor Jesús quien lo venció en el camino a Damasco y le hizo tomar conciencia de la oscuridad y el error en los que vivía, hasta el punto de estar dispuesto a dar la vida por él.

Al celebrar a estos dos apóstoles, pilares de la evangelización y de la Iglesia, recordemos que, como bautizados, estamos llamados a confesar nuestra fe en Jesucristo, nuestro Salvador, y permitirle que, a través del Espíritu Santo, nos transforme en sus discípulos y misioneros, dispuestos a construir su Reino aquí en la tierra. Que la vida de san Pedro nos inspire a vivir en unidad con toda la Iglesia y que la vida de san Pablo nos ayude a ser misioneros infatigables que no se rinden ante ninguna circunstancia. Una última cosa que debemos tener en cuenta especialmente en nuestro tiempo es que anunciar el Evangelio de Cristo no es fácil, ya que hay mucha gente en esta sociedad que está en contra de los valores que predicamos. No fue fácil para Pedro y Pablo en su tiempo, y tampoco lo será para nosotros y para nuestra Iglesia católica. Pedro y Pablo fueron perseguidos, ridiculizados, odiados, calumniados y golpeados, pero nunca olvidaron las palabras que Jesús le dijo a Pedro: «Las puertas del infierno no prevalecerán contra ella». Mantengamos esas palabras en nuestras mentes y pidamos a Jesús que nos dé la capacidad de proclamar su evangelio con fe y esperanza, sin importar las circunstancias que podamos enfrentar en nuestro tiempo. Amén.

P. Luis Segura

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FEAST OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL

Dear brothers and sisters, today, our Church invites us to celebrate the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, apostles. Both were called to give their lives in service to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, suffered persecution, and were killed for his sake. Before continuing, let me ask you a few questions: Were Peter and Paul disciples of Jesus? Did Paul know Jesus in person? Did Paul receive the keys to the kingdom? Is Peter the first pope of the Church?

Brothers and sisters, today we celebrate these two apostles, who were great pillars of our Church. Peter was a disciple of Christ, personally called by Jesus and had the opportunity to walk with him. In today's Gospel, we see how Peter, after confessing his faith in Jesus as the Messiah, received a special mission from Jesus, who told him: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." By telling him this, Jesus placed him at the head of the disciples to serve and strengthen his brothers in faith and unity. Peter carried out his apostolic activity primarily among the Jews, in the cities of Jerusalem, Antioch in Syria, and Rome. He was crucified in 64 AD, during the persecution of Nero.

Paul, unlike Peter, did not personally know Jesus, but was called by Christ in a spiritual vision on the road to Damascus to become an apostle of Jesus and bring the gospel to the Gentiles, after having been a persecutor of the Church. He traveled throughout the Mediterranean to bring the message to all he encountered. He was a missionary of the Gospel of God and wrote many letters to various churches, which constitute valuable nourishment for the spiritual life of many churches in the world today. He was beheaded outside Rome in 67.

Brothers and sisters, in celebrating Saint Peter and Saint Paul, we celebrate two apostles with different personalities, but united by the same mission of preaching the Gospel. Both remind us that, ultimately, our service to God is motivated by a call and a liberation that put us at the service of the Lord. Peter was transformed by Jesus' patient love and freed from prison to go out and proclaim his Gospel. Paul wanted to defeat Jesus by persecuting his followers, leading them to prison and martyrdom, but it was the Lord Jesus who defeated him on the road to Damascus and made him aware of the darkness and error in which he lived, to the point of being willing to give his life for him.

As we celebrate these two apostles, pillars of evangelization and of the Church, let us remember that, as baptized persons, we are called to confess our faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior, and allow Him, through the Holy Spirit, to transform us into His disciples and missionaries, ready to build His Kingdom here on earth. May the life of Saint Peter inspire us to live in unity with the entire Church, and may the life of Saint Paul help us to be tireless missionaries who do not give up under any circumstances. One last thing we must keep in mind, especially in our time, is that proclaiming the Gospel of Christ is not easy, as there are many people in this society who are against the values ​​we preach. It was not easy for Peter and Paul in their time, and it will not be easy for us and for our Catholic Church either. Peter and Paul were persecuted, ridiculed, hated, slandered, and beaten, but they never forgot the words Jesus spoke to Peter: "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Let us keep these words in our minds and ask Jesus to give us the ability to proclaim his gospel with faith and hope, regardless of the circumstances we may face in our time. Amen.

Fr. Luis Segura

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

The Gospel of today’s Liturgy, the Solemnity of the patron saints of Rome, reports the words that Peter addresses to Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). It is a profession of faith, which Peter pronounces not on the basis of his human understanding, but because God the Father inspired it in him (cf. v. 17). For the fisherman Simon, called Peter, it was the beginning of a journey: it would indeed have to be a long time before the scope of those words entered deeply into his life, involving it entirely. There is an “apprenticeship” of faith, similar to ours, that also affected the Apostles Peter and Paul. We to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, but it takes time, patience, and much humility for our way of thinking and acting to fully adhere to the Gospel.

The Apostle Peter experienced this immediately. Just after having declared his own faith to Jesus, when Jesus announces that He will have to suffer and be condemned to death, Peter rejects this prospect, which he considers incompatible with the Messiah. He even feels compelled to rebuke the Master, who in turn says to him: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a scandal to me, because you do not think according to God, but according to men!” (v. 23). Let us consider: does not the same thing happen to us? We repeat the Creed, we say it with faith, but when faced with the harsh trials of life, everything seems to falter. We are inclined to protest to the Lord, telling him that it is not right, that there must be other, more direct, less strenuous ways. We experience the laceration of the believer, who believes in Jesus, trusts in him, but at the same time feels that it is difficult to follow him and is tempted to seek paths other than those of the Master. Saint Peter experienced this inner drama, and he needed time and maturity. At first, he was horrified at the thought of the cross; but at the end of his life, he courageously bore witness to the Lord, even to the point of being crucified — according to tradition — upside down, in order to not be equal to the Master.

The Apostle Paul also had his own path, and he too passed through a slow maturation of faith, experiencing moments of uncertainty and doubt. The apparition of the Risen One on the road to Damascus, which changed him from a persecutor into a Christian, must be seen as the beginning of a journey during which the Apostle came to terms with the crises, failures and constant torments of what he calls a “thorn in the flesh” (cf. 2 Cor 12:7). The journey of faith is never a walk in the park for anyone: not for Peter nor for Paul, not for any Christian. The journey of is instead demanding, sometimes arduous. Even Paul, who became a Christian, had to learn how to be a Christian in a gradual manner, especially through times of trial.

In the light of this experience of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, each of us can ask ourselves: when I profess my faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, do I do so with the awareness that I must always be learning, or do I assume that I “already have it all figured out”? And again: In difficulties and trials do I become discouraged, do I complain, or do I learn to make them an opportunity to grow in trust in the Lord? For He, in fact — Paul writes to Timothy — delivers us from all evil and brings us safely to heaven (cf. 2 Tim 4:18).

May the Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles, teach us to imitate them by progressing day by day

on the path of faith. [Synthesized from Pope Francis, Angelus, 29 VI 22]

Rev. Rajesh Peter M.S.C

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles - Cycle C

My friends, today we would ordinarily be celebrating the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. But, because the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is always celebrated on June 29th and this year the 29th is a Sunday, the Solemnity takes precedence.

Our celebration today is especially significant because Saint Peter was our first pope and now we have a new pope, Pope Leo the 14th who was elected on May 8th of this year.

Saint Peter was not elected to be the first leader of our Church. He was selected by Jesus, as we heard in today’s Gospel Reading when Jesus said, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.”

Paul called himself an Apostle because of his encounter with Christ Jesus on the Road to Damascus in Acts: 9 1-4.  Paul (formerly Saul) was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.  He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”   Paul said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” 

Paul got up, opened his eyes and found that he could not see.  His traveling companions brought him to Damascus.  He remained blind for three days.  He was baptized there and his life was changed forever.

Now, many Christians doubted Paul’s conversion because he had a reputation of being a vicious persecutor of Christians.  But after a while, people began to believe that Paul was sincere because of his preaching and writing.  He traveled to many distant cities to preach the Word of God, converting many people to Christianity. He was even arrested and imprisoned because preaching. Saint Paul wrote 13 Letters and many of our Second Readings at Mass were written by him.

So, my friends, today we honor and celebrate the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  They are called Pillars of the Church. 

•   We honor Peter because of his leadership and recognition of Jesus as the Son of God.  In today’s Gospel, when Jesus asked “Who do people say that I am ?”  Peter immediately answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  This is when Jesus proclaimed “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.”

• We honor Paul because he was a steady and unwavering Disciple of Christ after his conversion.  Through his preaching and writing, countless people became followers of Christ.

Both were ordinary men with different backgrounds. Peter, a fisherman.  Paul, a fervent Jewish Pharisee.  Both had human weaknesses.  This is what Pope John Paul II had to say about the two of them:

•  “Peter showed this weakness several times, especially when he was put to the test and denied his very Master.  Paul's weakness shows up in the fury and almost boundless cruelty with which he persecuted Christ's followers.  The Lord however acted in them as though he took no account of this human frailty, as if he ignored it, proceeding according to his own mysterious plan of salvation.  Both men knew they were fulfilling the mission entrusted to them by the power of the Lord himself. Here in Rome they understood this in a special way, as they prepared to face the supreme trial of martyrdom.”  (Both Saint Peter and Saint Paul were martyred in Rome.) 

The above quote from Pope John Paul II reminded me of something St. Augustine wrote,

“There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future.”

My friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus asked, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is ?”  That very same question could be asked of us as well.  Who do I say Christ Jesus is ? 

Peter’s answer did not just jump into his head out of the blue.  Peter followed Jesus, listened to him, watched him cure and heal people.  Peter paid attention to all Jesus said and did which prompted his answer to Jesus recalled in today’s gospel.  We too have access to what Jesus said and did, we have the explanation as to why from Jesus himself.  This access is found in the four gospels.

As disciples of Christ Jesus, we are asked and expected to follow in the footsteps of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  That is, to preach and proclaim the Kingdom of God to everyone in our life – sometimes with our words; sometimes with our actions and always by the way we live our lives. 

We cannot say that we are not worthy or we do not have the ability to preach, teach and heal.  With trust and help from the Holy Spirit, everyone has the ability “by the power of the Lord himself.”  In doing so, we help build the Kingdom of God and our faith community, bringing people together as one family…