13th Sunday STS. Peter and Paul

ST PETER AND PAUL
My dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Once a missionary was recruiting candidates for the mission fields. He asked them why they wanted to go to Mission. Some said people are so poor, so exploited we will go and help them. Many are illiterate we will go and teach them. We will fight for justice and peace. But the leader said “All of these motives, however good, will fail you in times of testing, trials, tribulations, and possible death. There is but one motive that will sustain you in trial and testing; namely, the love of Christ.”
Yes dear brothers and sisters, today we are celebrating the great feasts of two giant Spiritual leaders who lived and died for the Love of Christ.
St. Peter is mentioned 182 times in the New Testament
It is interesting to note the personalities of both Peter and Paul. Peter was impetuous, telling Jesus that he would die with him if necessary but in fact he denied he knew him. We also remember Peter’s objection to Jesus’ prediction that he would suffer and die in Jerusalem and Jesus said ‘Get behind me Satan because the way you think is man’s way and not God’s way’ (Matt 16:23). Yet what made Peter a suitable candidate for Jesus’ call was his love, so three times Jesus asked him if he loved him and asked him to look after the flock.
Paul was a controversial character in his own way. He had a fiery personality. In his early life he channeled that fire towards persecuting the Christians in Jerusalem, even witnessing the death of Stephen, the first martyr for Jesus. After conversion Paul spent 10 years back in Tarsus before he began his preaching. It was a time for him to cool down and learn what the death and resurrection of Jesus meant for us all. Paul was a highly educated Pharisee and also he had a very strong personality which he needed to help the Jews to accept that Jesus was the Savior of all peoples, and that because of Jesus there is no difference between Jew and non-Jew.
Tradition holds that each was murdered by the Emperor Nero, around the year 64. Peter was crucified in a public circus or amphitheatre, hung on a cross upside down in humility that he might not seem to imitate the crucifixion of Christ. Paul was beheaded on the outskirts of the city.
As we look at the personalities of Peter and Paul, we see that God called them to use their personalities to spread the Gospel, Peter to use his impetuous love to look after the flock, and Paul to use his training as a Pharisee and his strength of character to ensure that the non-Jews would be welcomed into the church. It is a reminder to us that our talents and our weaknesses also can become God’s means of helping others, if we allow. We don’t have to be perfect for God to work through us, God can work through us as he did with Peter and Paul.
About Peter; Jesus could see Peter’s heart and knew he was the man for the job. Why? Because Peter was different to Judas. Peter grew through his mistake whereas Judas allowed his mistake to conquer him. Three times Peter had denied Jesus by a charcoal fire on Holy Thursday evening but now three times by a different charcoal fire on Easter day Jesus asks Peter to look after the sheep. Jesus forgave Peter and had confidence in him to make him Pope.
Despite our sinfulness Jesus forgives us and has confidence in us. In the second letter to Timothy we read, “We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful, for he cannot deny his own self” (2 Tim 2:13).
The most extraordinary thing about Paul’s conversion is in Phil 3:12, “I was apprehended by Christ Jesus.”{I have been taken possession of By Christ} the impression is that he was grabbed by Jesus and had no choice. Jesus arrested him with his overwhelming power.
These two great sources of our Christian faith teach us today to have strong faith which leads to Humility.
St Paul when he started his ministry cried out to the Christians “I am one among the apostles who witnessed to the Risen Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:2 Then he said in 1 Corinthians 15:9 “I am the least of the apostles, that am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God”. He was growing in Faith which leads to humility to accept that everything is from God. He had grown up to say I Tim. 1:15. “I am the first among all sinners,”
In First 1 Peter 5:6-11 Peter teaches us to Stand Firm in the Faith.
1) In humility
2) In prayer
3) In vigilance
4) In reliance on God
Peter encourages us, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”
A humble attitude recognizes who we are. We are weak, miserable sinners. We have nothing to boast about before God.
Even the problems that come into our lives, Peter reminds us God promises that he will “lift us up in due time.” He will deliver us from sin and suffering.
Today dear brothers and sisters we ask the intercession of these two saints to help us to cloth ourselves in Humility to have a strong faith in Jesus Christ.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.