The liturgical week started yesterday with Christ’s instruction on missionary discipleship, and today the Church’s liturgy immediately gifts us with the Solemnity of two famous pillars of discipleship, the great Saints Peter and Paul. The readings today set them before us as examples, that we may ponder more deeply the call to follow Jesus Christ as his disciples.
The Gospel tells of Peter’s profession of faith and his identity as the rock on which Christ will build his Church. But before we learn who Peter is, we must know who Jesus is. Jesus asks the disciples who people say that he is. They offer various answers based on what they have heard. Then he gets more personal. He asks them who they say he is. The first question was impersonal – What do you know about me? What have you heard of me? The second question is much more intimate: Do you know who I am? What does your encounter with me mean to you? Who am I to you? Peter dares to speak up on behalf of the disciples. It is another example of his leadership among them. His answer reflects not merely his wealth of knowledge or his quick thinking, but his intimate, personal insight into the identity of the Lord.
Peter’s reply is a true profession of faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Christ is Greek for Messiah, meaning the “Anointed One.” Peter sees Jesus not as one of the prophets but as the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise, as the Emmanuel, God among them, present in their midst. In Peter’s reply, Jesus recognizes the work of the Father, and he promptly changes his name from “Simon son of Jonah” to Peter, “Rock.” Jesus gives him the keys of the Kingdom of heaven entrusting to him a role of authority that extends over both heavenly and earthly matters.
The special grace of faith and authority that Peter received did not prevent him from sinning. We know that he fell seriously three times when the Lord was arrested during the Passover. But he recovered and became a rock of strength to support the faith of everyone else (cf. Lk 22:32). He learned that if he is going to persevere as a faithful missionary disciple, he cannot rely on himself. Rather he must entrust himself totally to the mercy and saving power of the Lord.
One of the occasions that confirmed Peter’s confidence in the Lord was the miraculous way by which he was rescued from Herod’s prison. Once again, it was the Passover, but this time, he did not resort to lies or betrayal in order to save himself. As he waited there in the darkness, fastened with double chains, surely Peter expected to be executed, just as James had been. He would have accepted this in faith and offered his life to the Lord. However, he is taken by surprise by an angel and led out of his impossible predicament. There was no need for him to save himself, for the Lord saved him. All Peter had to do was follow.
The great missionary Paul also learned to follow the Lord with whole-hearted faith in his power and mercy. Before his conversion, Paul thought he was capable of making himself quite holy. But when the risen Lord revealed himself to him, he realized that everything depends on faith, not on human goodness and zeal for the Law. That was the first great “rescue” Paul experienced, the rescue from the darkness of error and sin. During his service as a missionary Apostle, he was rescued many times by the power of God. As he writes to Timothy in today’s reading, Paul is in prison, nearing the end of his life’s journey. He testifies that the Lord always “stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all Gentiles might hear it.” Paul does not know if an angel will rescue him from his chains as Peter was rescued, but he can declare with great confidence, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.”
Both Peter and Paul speak of being “rescued” by the power of God so that they can continue their ministry. They do not proclaim their own power or greatness. They testify to the saving power of God, fully confident that “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail” against the Church. This faith is the gift they hand on to us today. We too have been rescued from imprisonment in the impossible condition of sin. We too are called to rely on the Lord in faith rather than on ourselves. This is the only way we can overcome our fears and be spiritually fruitful missionary disciples. With the strength that comes from the Lord, we too can fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith – and join Peter and Paul in glorifying the Lord forever.
How do I imitate the bold faith, tireless zeal and absolute trust in the Lord of Sts. Peter and Paul? If Jesus looked at me today and asked, “Who do you say that I am?”, what would my honest answer be? In what area of my life am I still trying to save myself instead of letting the Lord rescue me?
Excerpt from The Anawim Way, Volume 22, no. 5. More information about The Anawim Way may be found here.