Saints Peter & Paul, Apostles

PETER AND PAUL

Today is something of a rarity: the celebration of a saint’s day that replaces the Sunday liturgy. Only a handful of these days, given the official rank of “solemnity,” are considered so foundational and primal to the mission of the Church that they can interrupt the Sunday sequence. And so it is with Peter and Paul today.

In a way, they each have personality traits with which we can identify. They are both impetuous, sometimes acting or speaking thoughtlessly, contradicting the spiritual gifts given to them by God. At such times, they might receive a nudge from God, much the same as many of us experience. On the positive side, these men were deeply rooted in their faith in Christ, tireless and fearless in living out their call to spread the Good News of his death and resurrection. Perhaps we might identify more with one or the other, but the essential truth we celebrate today is this: Through the Spirit, Christ built and continues to build the Church and make the kingdom known through fragile, remarkable human beings, each graced in a particular way for the work of the reign of God.

Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.