Dear friends in Christ,
On the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul (29 June 2025), I bring you greetings and God’s blessings!
Introduction
Friends in Christ, today we celebrate the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. As Nigerians celebrate Blessed Cyprian Tansi, and the Scots honour Saint Mary of Scotland and Saint John Ogilvie, we honour the twin apostles because they are pillars of the faith and our universal spiritual heroes. Despite their witnesses (Peter denying Jesus thrice and Paul persecuting the Church), Jesus chose the former as the first Pope, and the latter was called by God to become an apostle to the Gentiles. From the story of the persecution of Christians in the first reading to Paul’s testimony about how God delivered him, we land safely on Peter’s solemn profession of faith.
Review of Readings
The first reading (Acts 12:1-11) relates how Herod persecuted the early Christians – how he headed James, the brother of John, and had Peter arrested, but God sent an angel to set him free.
In the second reading (2 Tim 4:6-8), St. Paul maintains that his life is a libation. He narrates his ordeal, stating that having borne all trials, what awaits him is the crown of eternal glory the righteous judge would give him and all those who await His appearing. He stressed that the God who delivered him from the lion’s mouth would bring him safely to his kingdom.
The Gospel (Mt 16:13-19) tells Peter’s profession of faith, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” after Jesus’ question: “Who do you say I am?” Jesus lauds his answer,stating that it was divinely inspired. He further stressed: “You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against.” In the end, he gave Peter the keys to the kingdom.
Takeaway Lessons
1. In the face of fierce persecution akin to the experience of Peter before Herod, Christians are charged to rely solely on God for respite, as he has the power to deliver us from the claws of contemporary Herods and bring us safely to his kingdom.
2. In the second reading, St. Paul invites us to look patiently towards heaven for the crown of eternal glory that the righteous judge would give all the elect.
3. In a world where Christians are intimidated and sometimes maligned, we are charged to profess our Catholic and Christian identities without fear or shame, like Peter, who said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
4. By saying “You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my Church” and “the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it,” Jesus wanted to assure us of the primacy of Peter as the first Pope and crucial place of unbroken apostolic tradition which shows that we are in the right Church sailing towards heaven.
5. Jesus’ giving of the keys to Peter symbolises the sacrament of confession, a soothing balm for our sins, which always gives us a second chance to reform.
Conclusion
To buttress the point about how God gives us a second chance, this poetic piece has a lot to teach us: “If milk gets bad, it becomes yogurt. Yogurt is more valuable than milk. If it gets even worse, it turns to cheese. Cheese is more valuable than both yogurt and milk. And if grape juice turns sour, it transforms into wine, which is even more expensive than grape juice. You are not bad because you made mistakes. Mistakes are the experiences that make you more valuable as a person. Christopher Columbus made a navigational error that led him to land in America. Alexander Fleming’s mistake led him to invent Penicillin. Don’t let your mistakes get you down.” It relates to the story of Saints Peter and Paul. God can write straight on crooked lines. Your story is not different – just trust him. Have a great week!
May our universal heroes inspire us to overcome the qualms of this life towards enjoying the beatific vision with the saints in light. Have a blessed week!
Yours in Christ!
