Yesterday, Father Boby John using the gospel account of the disciples being tossed about at sea, encouraged us to follow their lead and awaken Jesus for our own needs in prayer. A few hours later, while standing at a hair salon with my Mom, a woman approached and said Father, can I have a blessing? I could really use one!
God uses the ordinary moments of our lives to remind us of His presence and the needs of our brothers and sisters.
And, He calls each of us to be part of his salvific plan.
Today we remember and pray to two heroes in the faith, St. Peter and St. Paul. Two unlikely candidates to become disciples, apostles, evangelists, and martyrs for the faith.
So, who do you identify more with … Peter, who answered Jesus’ invitation with sincerity and best of intentions but at times doubted and even let Jesus down in his infamous denial in the garden of Gethsemane?
Or is it Paul, who seems to have only one gear, total and unwavering belief, whether it was in persecuting the followers of Jesus before his dramatic conversion on the way to Damascus … and then likewise as he gave everything to bring the Gentiles to faith in the very Jesus he had fought against?
Most likely, we find ourselves a mixture of these two saints, perhaps depending upon our stage of life and current events, including whether we had that second cup of coffee.
But, one thing is for sure, what we see is how God can transform the hearts and minds and lives of those who are willing to listen and speak with Him, no matter where we find ourselves.
For St. Paul, there was that one dramatic encounter with Jesus, and from that point on, he never wavered, even in the most difficult of trials, as we heard in today’s reading.
St. Peter’s transformation was different. He needed to be with Jesus, to listen to His call, to both succeed and fail, and then to be restored through Jesus’ healing words so that He could be that rock upon which the Church of Jesus stands.
On some days, we can go from St. Paul’s unwavering zeal for the faith in the morning ... to St. Peter’s taking his eye off Jesus while trying to walk toward Him on the water … and then find ourselves wondering, what happened?
That’s reality and a reminder of why we need the examples and intercession of Saints Peter and Paul.
The common bond between these two holy and heroic men of virtue is their openness to God’s grace and their humility in knowing they needed it.
The same is true for each of us, whether we are the one seeking a blessing from a priest, forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession, or someone to join us in prayer, countless other grace-filled times.
Saint Peter and St. Paul, pray for us.
Pray for us to have the zeal and confidence
of St. Paul in proclaiming Jesus’ saving power,
and the strength of St. Peter to be a faithful
grounding presence in our families and friendships.
Amen.
May God bless you and your families on this holy day!
Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live this morning during Mass at the Father Peyton Center. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.)
Father David S. Marcham is a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and serves as Vice Postulator and Guild Director of the Cause for Canonization of Venerable Patrick Peyton. Before entering St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, he worked for eleven years as a physical therapist in Boston-area hospitals. Ordained in 2005, Father David was assigned to St. Mary Parish in Franklin, Massachusetts. His involvement in Father Peyton’s Cause began in 2007, when he assisted Father George Lucas, C.S.C., in advancing the Cause for Canonization. Appointed Vice Postulator in 2009, Father David oversees the progress of the Cause, directs the Guild, and promotes devotion to Father Peyton’s legacy of family prayer.
