Word to the Wise
Monday, June 29, 2009 - Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles
[Acts 12:1-11; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18; Matthew 16:13-19]Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me........(Peter) I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed.....{Paul)
A feast like this one is bigger than the two honorees. Or perhaps I should say that on this feast, the two honorees become bigger than life! Yes, both Peter and Paul were actual human beings who lived in the first century AD. But each of them played very different roles even though both are considered to be "apostles." Peter was appointed to be the leader of the tiny new community and now, through his successors, he is head of a community numbering around one billion followers! Paul was appointed to preach the gospel and was led by the Spirit to concentrate his efforts on non-Jewish peoples which turned the community from a small sect of Judaism to an international movement! In many ways they have come to symbolize two different aspects of Catholic Christianity: the structural/institutional (Peter) and the "charismatic" (Paul) ministries. Thus theologians speak of the Petrine ministry and the Pauline ministry. Of course, centuries of theological reflection have gone into developing these "larger than life" portraits of these two men: one a fisherman and the other a tentmaker. If today we focus our reflection just on the two individuals, apart from all the theological "baggage," we see two very zealous and strong personalities. They clashed on at least one well known occasion over the question of Paul's Gentile converts and how these new people would be incorporated without taking on all the obligations of the Mosaic Law. But it was clear, also, that Paul saw himself as part of the single community of the Church and was not just "doing his own thing." From this relationship, a broader creative "tension" has arisen that continues to play a role in the Church. Peter becomes the maintainer of the tradition and continuity. Paul becomes the pathfinder and source of continuing new reflection on the mystery of Jesus Christ and how we are to preach to new situations! We need both these dynamic guys to continue to challenge us and I hope they enjoy the feast today! AMEN
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