Matthew Schreiner

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"Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam Meam." - "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church."

    On the feast of Saints Peter and Paul we celebrate these two apostles as well as their martyrdom. This feast is normally a weekday feast, however it takes presedence over the Sunday. Saints Peter and Paul is a great feast within our church.

    Let's first look at the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul. Saint Peter was crucified upside down, as he felt he was unworthy to die in the same way as our Lord. Saint Paul was, on the other hand, killed by the sword.

    The story of Sts Peter and Paul serves as a reminder for us, mainly, of conversion.

    St Peter's story is familiar to us, and two important stories of Saint Peter are presented to us in the readings of both the Vigil and Day mass. In the Vigil we read about on of our Lord's appearances to the apostles. In this appearance, our Lord asks Peter, 'Do you love me?", and three times in response, Saint Peter responds, 'Yes Lord'. Each time our Lord says a different thing to Peter, "Feed my lambs", "Tend my sheep", and "Feed my sheep". In the story of the gospel we hear one of the most familiar stories of Peter, when our Lord asks him, "Who do you say I am?", and in response Peter says, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God". Jesus, in response to this confession of Peter, says, "Blessed are you Simon, for this has been revealed to you by God. And so I say, you are Peter, and upon this rock I build my church."

    Both of these tell us about Peter, and his authourity. In the gospel of the mass in the day, we hear Christ's call to Peter to be the rock upon which the church, Christ's church, would be built. And in the first gospel from the vigil mass we hear Christ's call to peter to: "Feed my lambs", "Tend my sheep", and "Feed my sheep". These three calls are Christ's call for Peter to shepherd Christ's flock, to be a shepherd of Christ's flock.

    This is the root of the papacy, or the Petrine Ministry. The Pope is one who stands as a succesor to Peter, who Christ commanded to be the head of the church, as we hear today. The job of the pope is to be the one who shepherds the church, as Christ commanded Peter to do.

   Now, let's look at the conversion of St Paul. This story is not given to us today within the readings, however, we are given this understanding within Scripture. Saint Paul was Jewish, and he was a persecutor of Christians. On his way one day, a blinding light came to him, and a voice said to him. "Why do you persecute me?". This of course was the voice of our Lord to Paul. After this, Paul converts and joins the church, and begins to share the gospel message.

    In both cases one thing is appearant. And that is the call of the Lord. In the first case of Saint Peter we hear about Christ's call to lead to church. Christ calls Peter before this, he calls the fisherman Simon and his brothers to join him on his ministry. These same brothers would be other apostles. We also hear about Christ's call to all of us, namely, "Who do you say that I am". This is the question asked to all of us, "Who do we say (you say), Christ is".

    In his first mass with the Cardinals, Pope Leo the Fourteenth reflected upon this same question. And the answer the world gives us is that, Christ, is just another wise guy, a good speakers, a wise teacher. But yet, what does this ask of us? What does a wise teacher of merely another messiah in a long list, give us?

    This is the question we see in Paul. We see the radical reponse of Christ's call in the Christian People in the time of Paul. These people were asked this question, they thought it in themselves. They heard the word of the Lord preached to them. And they asked themselves, who is Christ? What does he ask of me?

    And the reponse for them, was a dedicated life, and was also a firm devotion to Our Lord and his Church. This devotion would lead them to persecution. They were willing to recieve persecution for the sake of Our Lord. And this brings us to Paul. Who was one who persecuted Christians. This persecutur of Christians, this Jewish man, Paul, if asked, "who is Christ", may respond, "Another false messiah, a wise teacher or rabbi, maybe, but just another one who makes promises, yet could never truly keep them". The response of Paul to Christ, and to the radical Christians, was one so many in our world today have. Maybe not in true killing, albeit, still in parts of this world persecution still occours, especially in Muslim stronghold lands.

    But a blinding light comes upon Paul. This blinding light can happen to us. Not as a physical blindness that it came to to Saul. But as a spiritual blinding light that reveals faith to us, a sudden change within us.

    But the message of Saint Peter and Paul remains, conversion. The greatest conversion of Peter is after betraying our Lord, our Lord comes to him, and as he denied Our Lord Three Times, as we heard today, our Lord invites him to give love back to him three times, and commands him to care for his church. Besides this, we hear of Paul's conversion, from one who persecuted Christians, to one who became a persecuted, and martyred, Christian.

    And this mercy is extended to us. And we too are called to bear witness in such as the same way as Peter and Paul.

    Peter, a fisherman, chosen to lead Christ's Church, who after denying Christ, was given a chance at forgiveness, and commanded again to lead Christ's flock, and who picked up his Cross and followed Christ. And Paul, a persecuter, called to bear the cross, and who led the Christian people into a better understanding of their faith. Both of these men serve as our examples.