Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Mass during the Day
Lectionary: 591
Reading I
In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some
members of the Church to harm them.
He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword,
and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews
he proceeded to arrest Peter also.
–It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.–
He had him taken into custody and put in prison
under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each.
He intended to bring him before the people after Passover.
Peter thus was being kept in prison,
but prayer by the Church was fervently being made
to God on his behalf.
On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial,
Peter, secured by double chains,
was sleeping between two soldiers,
while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison.
Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him
and a light shone in the cell.
He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying,
“Get up quickly.”
The chains fell from his wrists.
The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.”
He did so.
Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.”
So he followed him out,
not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real;
he thought he was seeing a vision.
They passed the first guard, then the second,
and came to the iron gate leading out to the city,
which opened for them by itself.
They emerged and made their way down an alley,
and suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter recovered his senses and said,
“Now I know
for certain
that the
Lord sent his angel
and rescued
me from the hand of Herod
and from all
that the Jewish people had been expecting.”
Responsorial Psalm
R.
(5) The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise
shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly
will hear me and be glad.
R. The angel of the Lord will
rescue those who fear him.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us
together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and
delivered me from all my fears.
R. The angel of the Lord will
rescue those who fear him.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your
faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all
his distress he saved him.
R. The angel of the Lord will
rescue those who fear him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those
who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the
man who takes refuge in him.
R. The angel of the Lord will
rescue those who fear him.
Reading II
I, Paul, am already being poured out like a
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,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance.
The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea
Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
Just as Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”, we are asked the same question continuously throughout our lives. Are we bold enough to have the same answer as Peter did? Do we have enough faith to believe what we say and act accordingly? It was through Peter’s answer that Jesus’ revealed Peter’s destiny to be the foundation of His Church. It was Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, who was to be the driving force behind the vision of the Church and under whose leadership it was to develop and grow. Peter, arguably one of the least educated of the Twelve and by far the oldest, would overcome these shortcomings through his understanding and fervent faith. Jesus was the motivation for this, and it was through their relationship he would achieve greatness.
We are encouraged to ask ourselves the same question and contemplate the answer. Accepting Jesus into our hearts and entering a relationship with Him, gives us the opportunity to put our faith into action, thus achieving what God wants us to achieve with our lives. The Apostle John writes in his letter, “Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.” To know God is to love God. When we know God and love Him, we can then understand what He wants us to do. When we do these things, nothing can stand in our away, because it is God’s will what we are doing and not ours. We were created out of love, to love, and be loved. From this love will flow all spiritual gifts. This will give us purpose in our lives above that which is a drive towards material possessions, wants, and needs. These things are only temporary, while God is forever.
Jesus commissioned Peter, giving him the keys to the kingdom. In other words, from the establishment of the Church flows Divine Revelation and a clear path to salvation. The Church offers structure and direction that, when followed, leads directly to Jesus, then to God and a Trinitarian Experience. Sacred Scripture, the teachings of the Church, and its Sacred Traditions become all the more important to understand. It was Peter who chose the second and third Bishops of Rome through Apostolic Succession, with the same authority being passed to them. The Bishop of Rome, considered first among equals, would eventually lead to the establishment of the Papacy. To this day, the Vicar of Christ is seen as the successor of Peter, fulfilling that obligation through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are successors of the New Covenant, receivers of salvation through Jesus Christ as God’s children. The words of Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” can become our words, with the same rewards that they carry. With them, we become open to the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ Divine Mercy, and all of God’s graces. As Psalm 57 proclaims,
“My heart is steadfast, God,
my heart is steadfast.
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, my soul,
awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.”
We will indeed feel the presence of God in our lives and feel the need to proclaim our love for Him when we welcome Him.
In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he is preparing both himself and Timothy for his possible death. He fully understood where his path was leading him, with his final destination being God. Throughout his journey to Rome, he knew that this would be his fate, and he accepted it readily. The words of Peter became his words, and he dutifully responded, from that fateful day on the road to Damascus, to the point of his execution by sword. God’s will became his will, and the world benefitted as a result. Death had no power over him, because he knew where that would lead him: “ The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever.”
The Glory of God can be revealed through us. We can be witnesses to Jesus Christ through our conduct and transformative experience, brought by accepting Jesus into our lives. This surrendering of our will to Him will serve as an example to those around us whom we interact with. Even though this can be difficult at times, the benefits outweigh the suffering. Suffering is temporary while God is forever. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, made by human hands lasts forever. Focusing on these things will always yield temporary results, while everything that we do in the name of God will last forever, including our salvation. Just as Peter’s chains were loosened by an Angel of the Lord, so too will our mortal chains tying us to this earth will be loosened so that our soul can seek refuge in the Lord. Is there a better place for us to rest safe and secure?
The Saint Faustina Prayer can ring true all of our days,
JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!
Deacon Tom
