Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

In Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, we read: Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days. Can you imagine what they shared with one another? Both were called to leadership. Both experienced failures—Peter’s denial and Paul’s persecution of Christians. Both were passionate in their love and service to their Lord.

And yet, they were quite different. They came from different backgrounds, social statuses, and talents. Their experience of Jesus was also different. Peter knew Jesus through his years of being with him. Paul knew the Risen Christ through faith and profound moments of prayer. Can you imagine how they enriched one another? And how they have enriched the Church by moving beyond what was different in their lives to what was essential: belief in and love for the Christ. We see them move beyond differences to acceptance, trust, and a deep commitment to the call of Christ.

This rich feast invites us to reflect on our own experience of being called to faith and mission. We learn about Jesus, who walked this earth, through the Scriptures and those who walked with him. We encounter the Risen Christ through the Eucharist, the Church, and our prayer, seeking to know his love and care for us.

But like Peter and Paul, we come from very different backgrounds, talents, and experiences. We are challenged to listen to one another. We are called to unanimity (oneness of spirit), not uniformity in our faith and our communities. The universal church and our local parishes are enriched by diversity. We need to ask the Lord to rescue us from the temptation to destroy this diversity by not accepting our differences.

In what ways can I be more open to accepting others?

Let Us Pray:

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for entrusting us with your mission of hope and healing. May your Spirit enable us to accept everyone, especially those who differ from ourselves. May we proclaim with Paul that the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed. Let us hold fast to the faith and finish the race.