SAINTS PETER AND PAUL

Sts. Peter and Paul-  El Greco

Today we celebrate  two great saints who are proof  that God can work through anybody. We have St. Peter, a brash, thick-headed fisherman, inclined to say whatever popped into his head without thinking, and St. Paul, that well educated Pharisee who persecuted  the Church, later becoming its great champion.

I would speculate it was quite hard for St. Peter to accept (at least at first) this "upstart" who was not one of the Twelve and had never known Jesus. Peter was present at all the events in which Jesus had just a few special persons with him. Peter was the one Jesus appointed to lead His new Church.

Yet Paul became one of the greatest of the Apostles and was very much given to mystic experiences. Paul claimed to have visited some “higher heavens,” and he articulated many of the more mystical aspects of Christology. Once Paul “saw the light,” he was one of the most ardent devotees of Jesus, traveling the so-called “known world” bringing the message of  Jesus to the Gentiles.




Today's feast, then, is a celebration of the Church's unity (and a good example to us in Community). Anyone who has read Acts or Galatians, will recall that Saints Peter and Paul did not always think or act in perfect harmony. They came from different backgrounds, they had different methods of evangelism, and they didn’t always get along, but they were vitally important to the emerging Christian Church.

M Djunisijevic- Serbia

Both helped to spread the faith of the early Church, following in the footsteps of Christ. That these two extremes could allow the Holy Spirit to work through them is certainly proof that God can work through each of us, as long as we are willing to answer “yes” to God’s call.

Aiden Hart

Church Unity