Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul (June 29, 2008)
29/06/08 22:16
Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
June 29, 2008
In the Footsteps of Saints Peter and Paul
Today is a bit different from most Sundays in Ordinary Time. Usually, I’m dressed in green, the color of the church season, Ordinary Time. But today, I’m wearing red – the color of martyrdom, of blood. That’s because, today, we celebrate the feast of two great heroes of church history, Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Their feast usually falls on a weekday, but this year, we are fortunate that it falls on a Sunday. The Pope also has proclaimed this as the Year of Saint Paul, which is even more reason to celebrate today’s feast in a special way!
I want to talk about how we can learn from these two great saints, how we can learn to follow in their footsteps. But first, I want us to take a quick tour of the New Testament of the Bible. That’s because it is in the New Testament of the Bible where we really hear and learn about Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
How many of us here own a Bible? Did you know that the Bible is the most important book we have as Christians? It’s our sacred Scriptures. Yet lots of Catholics don’t even own a Bible, and we only hear from the Bible when we come to church on Sundays. My friends, that is not enough! Here in this church, we give all the children in 1st communion classes children’s Bibles, with pictures; and we give all our teens in Confirmation a youth Bible. It’s because we want every single one of our kids, and us as adults, too, to own a Bible. It’s our Holy Book, from God!
When I was little, my parents bought a big family Bible. It was a huge thing. They put it on the coffee table in the living room – and there it sat, for years and years, a giant decoration, unread, collecting dust. Don’t do that with the Bible. If you are going to buy a big Bible for your living room, that’s fine – but also, buy a smaller Bible that you can really use, a Bible you can easily carry with you and read, a Bible that you’re not afraid to mark up with pencil or pen or magic marker, underlining and circling words and phrases, scribbling notes in the margins. The Bible is meant to be read and used and studied. It’s not just a decoration for the house!
Teen-agers – I have a question for you. Young men: Any of you ever send love letters to the girls at school? Girls: Do you ever like to receive messages from the boys? Now, I know I’m old fashioned. We used to send paper airplane notes sailing through the classroom. Now, teens text each other their love messages. But the point is the same: We all like to receive love letters. The Bible is God’s love letter to us. It’s the most marvelous love letter ever written in all of history. But what good is a love letter if it goes unread?
On the screen is the outline of the New Testament of the Bible. There are four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They each tell the story about the life of Jesus. Then comes a book entitled “Acts of the Apostles.” Does anyone know what it’s about? (Hint: Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb? Right – Grant!) “Acts of the Apostles” is about what? Right – the “acts of the apostles.” It was written by Saint Luke, the same guy who wrote the gospel of Luke, and it is a continuation of Luke’s gospel. It tells about Saint Peter and Saint Paul and the history of the early church in the years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Next come Paul’s letters, then letters by other apostles, and finally, the Book of Revelation.
Here’s your homework assignment: First, if you don’t own a Bible, buy one; and, second, start reading Acts of the Apostles – a wonderful adventure story about the birth of the church, and about Saints Peter and Paul.
Now, let’s look at Saint Peter. He was one of the 12 disciples -- really, the head of the disciples – and Jesus named him the first Pope, the first leader of the church. Our gospel today tells us the story: And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18, NAB)
What else do we know about Peter? Most of us probably think of Saint Peter as the guy at the Pearly Gates of Heaven, waiting to let some people in or kick others out. Anyone here ever heard those jokes about Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates? Here’s one:
(Choose one to use)
♣ An engineer dies and reports to the pearly gates. St. Peter checks his dossier and says, "Ah, you're an engineer you're in the wrong place." So the engineer reports to the gates of hell and is let in. Pretty soon, the engineer gets dissatisfied with the level of comfort in hell, and starts designing and building improvements. After a while, they've got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators and the engineer is a pretty popular guy. One day God calls Satan up on the telephone and says with a sneer, "So, how's it going down there in hell?" Satan replies, "Hey, things are going great. We've got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators, and there's no telling what this engineer is going to come up with next. God replies, "What? You've got an engineer? That's a mistake he should never have gotten down there; send him up here." Satan says, "No way. I like having an engineer on the staff, and I'm keeping him." God says, "Send him back up here or I'll sue." Satan laughs uproariously and answers, "Yeah, right. And just where are YOU going to get a lawyer?"
♣ The Pope and a lawyer both died on the same die. St. Peter gives the pope a 1-room hut, the lawyer a mansion. The lawyer asks Saint Peter: Isn’t there a mistake? “No,” says Saint Peter. “You see, up here in heaven, we have lots and lots of popes, bishops and priests, but you’re the first lawyer who has ever been here.
♣ Three men arrived at the pearly gates. St. Peter said to the first one, "Welcome, I see in my book that you've led an upstanding life, honest, generous, loving, always faithful to your wife. Congratulations, you will travel through heaven in a Cadillac. To the second man, St. Peter said, "You've lived a respectable life, but oh dear, I see that you've had an indescretionate relationship with your secretary. You'll be travelling through heaven on a motorcycle. To the third man, St. Peter said. "However did you get here?" "Beat's me" said the man, "I've lied, cheated and messed around plenty." "Oh, well," replied St. Peter. "You're here, by the grace of God. So I say that you may travel through heaven on a bicycle." The third man was pleased with his luck, pedaling down the golden streets when he saw the first man draped over the hood of his Cadillac, sobbing. "What's up" said the cyclist, "You lived the good life and have the rewards." "Yes," said the first man, "But I just saw my wife go by on a skateboard!"
♣ A teacher, a doctor, and a lawyer all die and end up at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter meets them there and says "It's good to have you here, but we're a little over crowded today. You'll each have to answer 1 question before I can let you in." Peter turns to the teacher and says "What was the name of the famous ship that hit an iceberg and sank in the early 1900s?" The teacher smiles and says "That's easy. The Titanic." Peter lets her in. Then he turns to the doctor and says "How many people died on the Titanic?" The doctor says "Well, that's a tricky one, but luckily I just saw the movie, so I know. 1500." Peter lets the doctor in, too. Then Peter turns to the lawyer and says "Name them."
Here’s what we really know about Saint Peter: He was a simple man; not well educated, probably; a fisherman. He was married. He loved Jesus, but often, was putting his foot in his mouth and getting in trouble, speaking before he should have spoken. He died in Rome in the 60s A.D., under the persecution of the Roman Emperor Nero. He was crucified, but – and this shows his great humility and love for Jesus – he refused to be crucified in the same way as Jesus, his Savior. So he was crucified upside down.
I want to look at just two incidents in the life of Saint Peter. The first is in Matthew 26, just before Jesus is about to die. Peter said to Jesus, “Though all may have their faith in you shaken, mine will never be.” Jesus said to him, "Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” I think we all know the rest of the story: Peter denies Jesus three times. Clearly, this is an example of Peter putting his foot in his mouth.
Next incident: Jesus has risen and now appears to the disciples. This is in John’s gospel, chapter 21: When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, “Feed my sheep”
Why does Jesus ask Peter three times, “Do you love me?” It’s because Jesus knows that Peter already, in the past, denied him three times. Now he is giving Peter a second chance, an opportunity to redeem himself. And, despite Peter denying him, Jesus puts him in charge of the church: “Feed my sheep.” Not as a dictator, but as a pastor who must sacrifice and take care of the flock. Peter eventually even gives his life for the flock, and Jesus even talks about Peter’s eventual death: “Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. And when Jesus had said this, he said to Peter, “Follow me.” (John 21:15-19, NAB)
What can we learn from the example of Saint Peter? First, Jesus looks for love, not perfection. Peter was a real bumbler, imperfect, not always trustworthy – but he had a big heart, and Jesus sees into the heart and wants our love, not our perfection. Jesus forgives us, just as he forgave Peter. So – three action steps. First, accept God’s love and forgiveness. Don’t live enslaved to the past and to guilt. Jesus wants to free you. Second: Do the same to others. Forgive them, love them, just as God has loved and forgiven you. Third: Like Peter, step out in faith and don’t wait until the “perfect moment” because the “perfect moment” is an illusion, a lie, and doesn’t exist.
It’s easy to procrastinate, and that’s why too many of us Christians are spectators, not participators, sitting on the sidelines, missing the action. Excuses, excuses, excuses – but it’s really mostly fear. “I’m not good enough. I’ve made too many past mistakes. I don’t know how. What if I fail and others make fun of me? I’m too busy. Someday, when I’m (fill in the blank here): out of school… not weighed down by kids… not so involved in my career and work… when I’m older and retired.” But then, for those retired: “Now I’m too old, too feeble, too tired, don’t have the energy, too sick.” You see my point? God is not looking for perfection. Peter was far from perfect. He’s not looking for skills or talents or education. Peter was a fisherman. He’s looking for people with a heart for God and for other people, people who are humble and have big hearts of love for others, people willing to take a risk and step out on the water, even if they might sink; people like Peter, who will make good shepherds because they love people and they love God.
Now let’s turn to our second Christian hero, Saint Paul. I’ve always liked Paul – I picked him for my Confirmation name. What do we know about Paul? A quick quiz: How many think he was one of the 12 disciples? Lots of people get this wrong. Paul did not even know Jesus when Jesus walked on the earth. Paul became a Christian after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. On the screen is a picture, an icon, of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. They worked together – Peter as missionary to the Jews, Paul as missionary to the Romans, the Gentiles. We know they sometimes disagreed and fought – but they were brothers in Christ, nonetheless. Paul was a Pharisee, a learned Jew who also was a Roman citizen and who spoke both Hebrew and Greek. He was a teacher and a missionary. He traveled throughout the Roman Empire, speaking about Jesus and starting new churches. He wrote lots of letters to the many churches that he founded, and many of these letters are preserved in our New Testament – Paul’s letters to the Romans, the Corinthians, the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Colossians and the Thessalonians, on and on. We know that he, too, died as a martyr in Rome, about the same time as Peter, under the same Roman Emperor, Nero – but Paul was decapitated, not crucified.
Let’s look briefly at two incidents in Paul’s life. First is before Paul’s conversion. Note that Paul’s Hebrew name was Saul, and his Greek name was Paul, but Paul and Saul are the same person. The story is told in Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 8: Saul … was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment. (Acts 8:3, NAB).
But now, let’s read the second incident, told in Acts, Chapter 9: Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might 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?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” … Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. (Acts 9:1-5, 8, NAB)
What can we learn from these two episodes in Paul’s life? Like Peter, Paul was not perfect. In fact, he did many evil things, persecuting and imprisoning Christians. But God forgives our past and uses us, if we are open. That’s what conversion is about – changing direction in our lives. Just as Jesus called out to Paul to change his life, Jesus asks us to change our lives, too – to stop running away from him and start running toward him, to listen to him and to give our hearts and our lives to him.
Four lessons and action steps that we can learn from Paul and his writings:
First, accept God’s limitless love. No conditions. No strings attached. You are forgiven. Don’t live in the past and let past sins and mistakes enslave you. Paul tells us, in his letter to the Romans: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose… What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? … What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? … I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:28, 31, 35, 38-39, NAB)
Second, put love as the first priority in your life – love of God, and love of others. Don’t let money, pleasure, possessions, career, popularity, sports, TV, recreation, vacation, retirement – and the list can go on and on -- become false gods that dominate and control your life. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us: If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:1-8, NAB)
Third, like Saint Paul, be a real missionary for Jesus. In his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. (2 Corinthians 5:20, NAB) Anyone here ever watch those TV court dramas – “Judge Judy,” “Law and Order”? In those shows, and in real life, too, the trained experts are the police, the judges, the lawyers. But are the witnesses professionals? No! They just tell what they’ve seen and experienced – “I saw so-and-so rob the bank.” Jesus does not ask us to be experts who need to know a lot about the Bible, or about Christian doctrines and history and teaching. And we’re not the judges and lawyers, responsible for saving people and from deciding whether they go to heaven or to hell. We just need to be witnesses, representatives, ambassadors. We just need to share what we ourselves have already experienced about the love of Jesus. But it is urgent that we share and not stay silent – share with our children, our neighbors, our co-workers, our spouses and families and friends. Why? Two reasons: If we don’t share, how will they hear and know about God? We might be their only chance to hear the good news of Jesus. And second, so many people are hurting, in pain, suffering, even dying – and we have the good news, the message of life and salvation! How selfish if we hold it to ourselves, instead of sharing!
A final lesson from Saint Paul: Don’t be afraid of sacrifice, suffering and weakness. Again, in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, Paul talks about his own suffering and sacrifice: Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Following Jesus is not a guarantee of life on easy street, but rather, a promise of the cross and suffering – but for a prize worth suffering for!
Paul goes on: I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 11:24-29, 12:10, NAB) I am 100 percent convinced that God can use us more in our failures, our past sins and mistakes, our weaknesses, than in our strengths. When we serve God from our strength, our talent, we become prideful, puffed up, full of ourselves. But when we serve God out of humility and weakness, like Saint Peter and Saint Paul, then God gets the glory, not us! A recovering alcoholic is much better able to help others who struggle with drinking than a non-alcoholic. A mother who has lost a child at birth is much more able to help other women in similar situations. But we need to be open, like Peter and Paul, to God’s call, so that God can really enter into our lives and take center stage and really use us!
Let’s conclude by looking at Saint Paul’s letter to Timothy, from our second reading today. Paul is near his death, and he writes:
I 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. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance…
Each of us has only one life. We can waste it or use it wisely, according to God’s plan. Don’t waste your one life that God has given you! Finish the race, keep the faith, shoot for the crown of victory. This crown, this reward and victory, is not just for Saint Paul, but for everyone who loves the Lord and longs for his appearance.
Paul continues:
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 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18, NAB)
God loves us, unconditionally, no strings attached. There may be sacrifices and struggles and sufferings, but he is always with us – and his love conquers all. Despite our failures, our sins, our imperfections, our weaknesses, Jesus wants to use us as his ambassadors and witnesses.
So get rid of the excuses and the procrastination. Use your one life as God wants you to use it.
There is only one question: Will you listening to the Lord, will you say “yes” to God’s invitation? If you say “yes,” God will use you mightily, just as he did Saint Peter and Saint Paul. And we, too, will walk in their footsteps, humble saints, also, imperfect but with big hearts that love God and love other people.
Let us pray…