Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul
Every June 29th the Church honors the two great saints, Peter and Paul, as if to remind us that divergent paths can still lead to Christ, and great efforts to the Glory of God. While St. Peter was the leader of the apostles and main authority figure in the Church after Pentecost, St. Paul was an intellectual who developed Christian doctrine while an indefatigable missionary who spread the Gospel in much of the eastern empire.
Their personalities like their roles, were very different. Peter was a Galilean fisherman whose first language was Aramaic, although he may have learned some Greek. He walked and talked with Jesus during his earthly life. He lived through the passion of Christ and the joy of the resurrection. St. Paul was born Saul of Tarsus, a city man from southern Turkey. He was an outsider to the small group of apostles, a Jew but not Judean and with a different social and educational background. He was a Roman citizen which suggests his family was affluent. Though he earned his living as a tentmaker, he was well educated in Jewish law. (Information from Butler’s Lives of the Saints, 1997 edition)
The zeal of these two men shaped much of the early Church, offering us many lessons on evangelization, leadership, fidelity to Christ, and the grace of discipleship. So very different in background and formation, they offer us a reminder that all are called to follow Christ, however we come to Faith. Young or old, highly educated or basic educational background, the message of Jesus Christ confronts us all as a path to holiness and communal life.
As we celebrate this feast, let us consider our call to share the message of Christ, each in the manner we have available to us. Some of us are parents, some single, some ordained…all are asked to preach Jesus Christ with the gifts God has shared with us. How will I today share Jesus in my words and actions? How will I proclaim the mercy of God with others?
Independence Day
July 4th falls on Friday this year, a first Friday. As has been the custom, we will have Mass on this national holiday as follows;
St. Raphael the Archangel, 8:00 am Mass (no Exposition or Benediction this Friday)
St. Gabriel the Archangel, 9:00 am Mass