Reflection
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, two great apostles who helped shape the life of the early Church and carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. The Church honors them together because, though their gifts and missions were different, guided by the Holy Spirit, they set the foundation for the Catholic Church to flourish long after both were martyred in Rome, sometime between 64-68 AD.
In Christian art, St. Peter is often shown holding the keys of the Kingdom, a sign of the authority entrusted to him by Jesus. St. Paul is often shown with a sword, symbolizing the Word of God and his bold preaching of the Gospel.
Peter was a fisherman called by Jesus to become the rock on which the Church would be built. In today’s Gospel, Peter professes his faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus responds by entrusting Peter with the keys to the Kingdom and the authority to shepherd and strengthen the Church.
Paul’s path was quite different. A Roman citizen and devout Jew, he once persecuted the followers of Jesus. But after encountering the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, his life was completely changed. He became one of the Church’s greatest missionaries.
Paul traveled throughout the Mediterranean world, proclaiming Christ, forming Christian communities, and encouraging believers to remain faithful. Even through hardship, imprisonment, and suffering, he kept his eyes fixed on Jesus and continued to share the joy of the Gospel.
Peter and Paul remind us that God works through many different kinds of people. A fisherman and a scholar, a shepherd and a missionary, became leaders of a Church that continues, 2,000 years later, to proclaim Jesus Christ to the world.
Saints Peter and Paul were not perfect, but they were faithful. Their lives remind us that each of us has a role to play in building up the Kingdom of God. When we place our gifts, our weaknesses, and our lives in God’s hands, he can do more through us than we could ever imagine.