June 29 2019 - Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Peter and Paul: Sinners, but chosen pillars.
A Turkish proverb says, “A
building without foundation is soon demolished.”
Every building, in order to stand
firm needs pillars. It needs strong foundation. The Church being a building
does not make exception to that rule. We are talking of the Church not as
structure, but the Church as community of the Lord’s believers. We are all part
of that edifice, the Body of Christ, founded on Apostolic foundation, and Peter
and Paul stand as its strong pillars.
In our Credo we profess, “I believe
in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church…” What we profess, that is what we
celebrate today, the unicity, the catholicity and the apostolicity of the Church.
We are one unique community, though scattered throughout the world, under the
authority of one universal shepherd who holds his authority from the apostolic
succession.
Today’s solemnity of Peter and
Paul is also known as the feast of the Pope. He is the successor of Peter, the
safeguard of our faith and the supreme shepherd of the Church.
The readings given for our
meditation while celebrating Peter and Paul are all about profession of faith,
apostolate and mission. In the first reading, we read about how the Lord saved
Peter from the hands of Herod the king who, after the execution of James found
delight in persecuting the new born community. Peter’s experience teaches us
that apostolate is intimately linked to martyrdom. The Lord, however, does not
abandon his chosen ones, so he rescued Peter from the prison and sets him free.
In the second reading, Paul
expresses his readiness to endure all kind of sacrifice and trials which may
come because of his belonging to Christ and his mission as Apostle. we also
read that though confronted to trials and persecutions, the Apostles are
guardians of faith. Therefore, they keep strong their faith in the Lord and
become example of faithfulness for all those who face hardship because of the
faith they profess. In the midst of persecutions and trials, and in front of
any kind of violence, the Lord stands by his chosen ones, gives them strength and
defends them.
The Gospel presents us with the
beautiful profession of faith of Peter. When Jesus asked his disciples about
what people say of him and what them, his followers say of him, Peter voiced
out, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This was seen by the Lord
as a great profession of faith, “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to
you, but my heavenly Father.” Thus, that profession of faith led the Lord to
appoint him as leader and foundation of his community: “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.” Through these words,
Jesus instituted Peter as head of the apostolic group and made him authority infallible,
“the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” From there, comes
the divine mandate of Peter as keystone of the Church. After Peter, the Popes,
successors of the Apostles are invested with that same divine mission and
responsibility. The authority of the Pope comes from that dispositions of Jesus
to Peter.
Our today’s celebration gets all
its meaning when we see from it the feast of the Pope, the Pope not as a mere
human being, weak and sinners as each one of us, but the Pope as the one
appointed by the Lord to lead his people. This, actually calls for a great
faith. The Church as community of believers will lose all its unicity and
apostolicity if we contest the position and authority of the Pope as its
shepherd chosen by the Lord and infallible in his teaching, if we lose faith in
the Pope.
Many of the problems people face
today in regard to the Pope and the difficulties of accepting his authority and
leadership all happening because of lack of deep faith from the people on the
apostolic succession. When people see the Pope only as the person, not as the
successor of Peter, they hardly can accept that he can talk of things of divine
importance.
For sure, the Pope is a sinner. God, however,
choses not Angels, but sinners to entrust them with the responsibility of his
Holy People. Thus, the beautiful motto of Pope Francis, “Miserando atque
eligendo” (forgiven and chosen). God forgives sinners and makes of them his
instruments. Even Peter was not immaculate, reference to his denial of the Lord
at the hour of the passion. Paul, as well was not without sin, the great
persecutor and hater of the Lord’s way. But though both were sinners, they
became the strong pillars of the Church. So, it is with the Pope. He is a sinful
person, but safeguard and pillar of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic
Church. That is our faith. That makes of us Catholics. He who refuses to accept
that reality and believe in that truth of the apostolic succession and infallibility
of the Pope can be a Christian, but not a Catholic Christian and, therefore, he
is free to leave the Church when he is pleased to.
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