THIRTEENTH SUNDAY-A Jun 29, 2008

Acts 12: 1-11 Psalm 34 2 Tim 4:6-8,17-18 Matt 16: 13-19

Feast of Peter and Paul”

1. A little bit of background to this feast will help us to understand and celebrate it in a richer manner. In the first place Peter and Paul are generally acknowledged to have died a martyr’s death. However, they did not die together. Some say Paul died in the year 60 others say in the year 62. Peter died in 64. Both died during the reign of Nero (54-68).

Why the 29th June?

The early church simply adopted the feast of Romulus and Remus who were said to have founded Rome. Both Peter and Paul came to Rome with a church already in existence. Paul had already had several imprisonments. He was battered and bruised, but came out alive. This time Paul is discouraged because the Roman Christians did not come to his aid. Perhaps they were afraid of the amount of persecutions. Perhaps they were not too comfortable with Paul’s philosophy and teaching. With this in mind, we proceed to our readings and reflections. When did Peter arrive in Rome we do not know, perhaps he was there even as Paul was in prison. And so we proceed to our readings and reflections.

2. Herod Agrippa was a grandchild of Herod the Great’s second wife. He reversed the peaceful tension in which the Jews and the Christians lived. He started persecuting the Christians. He put James the brother of John to death. This pleased the people. So he imprisoned Peter. In this political scene, we find a different dynamic on the part of God.

We find the Christians praying. It was a sign and characteristic of the Church then, and of the Church today. The fervent prayer of the Church would continue the mandate and mission given to the Church by Jesus.

As a result we “find doors opening” - it was a literary device to describe God’s miraculous action in the Early Church community. We will find it again when Paul and Silas are imprisoned in Philippi (Acts Ch 16:25)

3. On the one hand, we know that God does not intervene directly to change the normal flow of human history. Otherwise we would have to blame God for every disaster in our history. Why does God not stop these?.

On the other hand, we do know and have experienced the power of prayer. It is this constant mysterious tension that is a part of our lives. We are responsible for the things we do and for the disasters that are a result of our greed and selfishness. We also know that we can continue to live and trust in caring and loving God who does not give us more than we can handle.

4. We do not have an account of the martyrdom of Paul in the Acts of the Apostles. The second letter to Timothy does not fit in nor is it connected with the other two readings. But it is a farewell letter. It is Paul the Shepherd saying goodbye to those entrusted to him. It is an intimation of the martyrdom that is to follow.

On reading the life of Paul, we are amazed at the length and breath he travel to proclaim Jesus. We admire the disciples he made even in places as superficial as Athens. Yet Paul constantly saw himself as failing to bring others to Christ. Now he is in Rome and the Christians have deserted him. Yet Paul will end on an optimistic note: The Lord will rescue me. The Lord will save me for his heavenly Kingdom.

5. The Gospel finds us in the very north of the land of Israel. The town is called Caesarea Philippi - named after two pagan rulers who claimed to be “gods”! And yet it is the site of the conversion of one of these two Pillars of the church: Peter and Paul.

Peter has his conversion in this pagan atmosphere. He makes his profession of faith: “you are the Messiah, the son of the Living God.” Some miles to the north just on the other side of the Golan Heights is Damascus where Paul had his conversion and acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as the Lord. It is a pity that these two Conversion sites are in two different countries. If you visit one, you will not be admitted into the other country to visit the other conversion site!!

Perhaps it is symbolic of the unity that Jesus was praying for at the last Supper “Father may they be one as you Father are in me, and I in you.” It is symbolic of the unity that was never quite achieved between the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome. It is symbolic of the unity that still has some way to go among not only Christians and Protestants - but also among the Catholics who accept the Pope as the head of the Church - and other Catholic rites that acknowledge the importance of Rome, but will only acknowledge the Pope as the first among equals. “Primus inter pares”

And so on this feast day, of these two great men who were united in mind and heart based on the Love of Christ - and acknowledgement that Jesus is the Lord, on this feast day we should strive to see what is good in each other and emphasize and build these qualities, gifts and talents. God bless you all.