Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul, Apostles

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”—Psalm 34:5
 
    Whenever we become discouraged about our own sins, we need only to look at Peter and Paul for encouragement and hope! Both men have great zeal for spreading the word of God. Peter always brags that he will do anything to save his good, friend, Jesus, from harm. We read in today’s gospel that Jesus even entrusts his Church to Peter. Then Jesus is captured and put on trial. Peter cannot handle this life and death tension. Three times he denies Jesus. Realizing how he has hurt his good friend, Jesus, Peter disappears. Then Jesus shows Peter what a tremendous gift is unconditional love! “Peter, do you love me?” And Peter responds affirmatively.

 Paul, a Pharisee and strict follower of the Jewish law, even killed Christians in his desire to do what he thought was God’s will. In these dramas of zeal, God intervenes. Paul is struck blind and remains so in his own prayer conversion. Like Peter, he spends the remainder of his life preaching about Jesus and his teachings.

    Both Peter and Paul are arrogant in their own ways. They think they know what God wants even before God tells them. Their sin, though, does not stand in the way of God’s love. When God speaks to them in their hearts, they eventually respond with love. 

    Peter and Paul are choice examples of God’s unconditional love for them and their positive responses. We, too, have our inclinations to sin, just like Peter and Paul. After Peter realizes his sin, he spends alone time with God. When Paul is struck blind, he spends time alone with God. Both men experience their own conversion. Their sins are not the obstacle, because their hearts open to God.

    In today’s readings, both Peter and Paul show how deep are both their faith and their hope in God. We are no different from Peter and Paul. Yes, we have our sin. But we also have the same invitation from God—an invitation to hope.

Both apostles live hope in their lives. They write about hope. They encourage us in our worldly atmosphere of bitterness, bickering, and injustice to live hope.

    Peter’s successor, Pope Francis, writes: “Here, then, is why Christian hope is steadfast; here is why it does not disappoint. It is not based on what we can do or be, or even on what we may believe in. The foundation of Christian hope is what we can be most faithful and certain of, that is to say the love that God himself has for each one of us.” (taken from the book, ON HOPE)

    We have no reason not to love. We have no reason not to evaluate how we love. Hope is that gift given to us in Baptism. As we continue to grow through our own conversions, let’s not get discouraged with our own sin and the sin around us. Let’s focus on God’s unconditional love for each one of us personally. Then, let’s respond ourselves and spread that love.