Saints Peter and Paul, During the Day 2024

Title

Following Jesus

Outline

There are some things common to all saints

First, they have recognized and confessed Jesus sincerely. As Simon Peter said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” This should happen in baptism, and some saints live this from so young it seems to come from baptism as an infant. Others, such as St Ignatius of Loyola come to the full awareness as an adult. In either case it is a revelation by “my heavenly Father” for it is always God’s grace, even if “flesh and blood” are involved. For the Twelve there was a baptism, probably by John, and confession of a coming Messiah with his Kingdom. When they meet Jesus and follow him it is God’s grace opening their eyes to who Jesus is.

Second, they have lived out that calling, they have “followed” Jesus. This was quite literal for the Twelve and most, perhaps all except Judas, followed him to their deaths, but Paul follows the resurrected Christ as well as did so many others. The saint has a commitment to live like and with Jesus.

There are some things different among saints

First, they have different callings. Peter is not seeking anything when Jesus by divine choice names him the “rock” upon which he would build his church, his majordomo (he has the keys to the kingdom of heaven). That is some authority, yet it never seems to have gone to Peter’s head. The irony is that 1 Peter was the “stepchild” among NT letters for decades.

Second, they have different tracks to run with different endings. James son of Zebedee was executed within the first decade of the church’s existence. Peter expected the same. When the angel springs him from prison he thinks he is having a dream. Only when the angel disappears and he is outside the prison does he realize God has acted and then takes appropriate actions to get out of Herod’s way. John says that it is “when he is old” that he will meet a demise like Jesus’. Paul like Peter lives to an older age, but seems to experience close calls with death all during his life, saying in one place “I die daily.” But in 2 Timothy he realizes that this is the end and looks back on his life as an athletic contest he has competed in well, as a race he has finished. But he does not stop there, he looks forward to “the crown of righteousness” he will receive, as will others. He ran a different track that Peter did and a longer one than James did, and a more painful one that others did, but the reward is the same, for he was faithful.

I remind us of this because we need to remember it

Our vocation and our unique form of living our vocation was given to us. We chose because God gave grace. And he was giving us grace long before we were aware. And this is a grace we share with others in quite different vocations. It is a cause for living in mutual thanksgiving and gratitude.

And yet the exact shape of our callings is different. While I doubt Paul ever looked at Peter and thought “he has the keys, and yet my road is so much harder than his,” but it is easy for us to do. Yet when they each got to Rome, Peter likely felt a bit like a fish out of water, not having citizenship, a progymnastic education or a good rabbinic education, and needing an interpreter even in Greek. Paul seems to know the Roman system, even if he did not appreciate his chains.

I have had to realize that I did not fit or no longer fit the church or school I was in and sometimes it was quite painful. And yet it was God’s way of getting me to his goal for me (his life plan for me, not my life’s plan). And later I would see how the painful experiences prepared me for a later

So, Sisters, it is all one commitment and one journey following Christ and a common reception of grace. But let us not be disheartened or discouraged or proud because the racecourse laid out for us does not look like that laid out for another.

Peter and Paul understand that well.