ST. PETER & ST. PAUL, HEROES OF FAITH Our world cries out for real heroes, not false celebrities. Fame, fortune and wealth are transitory and superficial: here today, gone tomorrow. True heroes of faith however, leave a legacy of faith, hope and love. This week we celebrate two of the greatest heroes the Church has ever known. St. Peter was the rock of the early Church and St. Paul the pillar. Two thousand years after they were martyred, we continue to rejoice in the witness of these two great men who illuminate this dark world with the light of their faith and love. They were both frail and weak human beings, but Christ transformed them into heroes. St. Peter was weak, emotional, indecisive and self-serving. He drifted into deep sleep in the Garden of Gethsemane just when Jesus most needed him; despite declaring his undying devotion to Christ, in an instant he denied his Lord when his own safety was threatened. The Lord led Peter to a second conversion and he wept bitter tears of sorrow and repentance. After the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost he was a transformed man, becoming bold, confident and courageous: the rock God intended him to be. St. Paul was a religious zealot who persecuted the first believers and arranged for many to be stoned to death. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul too, was a transformed man, becoming bold, confident and courageous; the pillar God intended him to be. It is too easy for us to conclude that Peter and Paul were unique and special (although it is true that they were). The same Holy Spirit who raised them up to be the men God wanted them to be will also do the same for us. Peter and Paul shared a common belief: they both loved Jesus with all their heart, mind and strength and were willing to lay down their lives as a witness in blood of their undying love for the one who had died for them. St. Peter, pray for us. St. Paul, pray for us (Q8 Vicariate Newletter)
Posted on: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 09:56:02 +0000
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