Homily- Solemnity Saints Peter &Paul, Apostles- Fr.
Udoekpo, Michael Ufok
Reading: (Vigil) Acts 3:1-10; Ps 19:1-5;
Gal 1:11-20; John 21:15-19 (Day) Acts 12:1-11 Ps 34:2-9; 2 Tim 4:6-8,17-18 and
Matt 16:13-19.
Living the Examples of Saints Peter
and Paul Today (In Times of Pandemic)
Today (especially in this time of pandemic)
we celebrates with faith the life and steadfastness of Saints Peter and Paul,
two great giants and pillars of the Church. Peter was from Bethsaida, a town in
Galilee on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias. Originally, he was a fisherman.
He met Christ through his brother Andrew. He abandoned his net and followed
Christ. He had his own ups and down as the Vicar of Christ. Quite outspoken. He
had his own crisis of faith. Denied Christ several times during the
Passion Week. Regained his faith, pastoral and leadership roles in the church,
and eventually died as a martyr for the same faith in Rome, under the
persecution of Nero, about 64 AD. Peter was buried where the Vatican is located
today.
Paul on the other hand was from Tarsus
known as Saul, prior to his conversion. Originally, he was an attorney and
persecutor of Christians and their values. He was chosen to form part of the
college of Apostles by Christ himself after his miraculous conversion on his
way to Damascus. He preached faith, endurance, repentance, perseverance, unity and
the good news of Christ to the Gentiles and pagans of all nations.
Peter and Paul’s exemplary-apostolic lives
are narrated extensively in the pages of the Scripture, especially in the
readings we had at both Masses; the vigil and at this Mass of the Day. Both men
suffered persecution and trials. Peter was bound in prison by Herod in the
first reading, Acts of the Apostle. But through the prayer of the Church he was
miraculously freed from prison and fears by the angel of the Lord. Peter
himself acknowledged this and said, ‘now I know for certain that the Lord sent
his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod’ (Acts 12:1-11).
Like Peter, Paul in all his missionary
preaching and pastoral travels witnessed all kinds of persecutions. He was
beaten, rejected, ship wrecked and imprisoned. But he knew that the crown of
righteousness awaits those who persevere to the end.
Today, while exhorting, Timothy, Saint Paul
is indirectly addressing us in our various challenging situations: Paul says:
“I Paul, am already being poured out like
libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have
finished the race. I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of
righteousness awaits me… the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that
through me the proclamation might be completed and all Gentiles might hear. And
I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil…”
(2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18).
Perseverance, endurance, sacrifices are
demanded of Christians in their faith preaching, witnessing and ministries. We
have seen this not only in Paul, but in Peter as well. Recall, what Peter went
through during the trial of Jesus. He was afraid. He went through fear and
trials of confusion. He denied Christ. But the same Peter in John 21 would come
back with courage to say, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you” (John
21:15-19). Peter is asked to feed Christ sheep, the Church. The same Peter, in
spite of his weaknesses and trials is able to recognized Christ in Matthew’s
Gospel (Matt 16:13-19) as “the Son of the Living God.” Because of his
endurance, and perseverance Peter is made the Rock the foundation of the Church
and the custodians of the keys of the kingdom of heavens. He has the power to
bind and to loosen. So also his successors – the Roman Pontiff to whom members
of the Church through their bishops and priests collaborate with.
We live today in different times with
challenges than Peter and Paul. We may be faced with different forms of persecutions
by different “Herods” and “Neros.”: For example, covid-19 or corona virus,
racism, secularism, disagreements, rifts, divisions, terrorism, wars, a
diminished sense of the sacred, exploitation of nature planet, extreme anthropocentricism
and worship of material things, with a huge gap between the poor and the rich.
There are also pluralism of religion and political/economic ideologies hostile
to Christian faith. In this age under these circumstance, each of us, priests
and non-ministerial priests, young and old, students and workers, parents and
children are invited to imitate Saints Peter and Paul as ministers of the
gospel and values of Christ to our neighbors and friends of all cultures and
nations. Values of love, values of hope, values of faith, values of forgiveness,
values of endurance, values of bearing the weight of our crosses, values of
oneness, values of universalism, values of charity and peace, values of
authentic leadership, courage and gratitude.
Reflection Questions
1.
How often do we
try to live the virtues of SS Peter and Paul?
2.
What are your
daily challenges?
3.
How do I assist
members of my faith community to respond to Christ’s love with endurance and
perseverance in the midst of trials, persecutions and pandemic?
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