Peter and Paul - Two Pillars of the Church
Simple fisherman and intellectual. A provincial citizen and citizen of the then world. Conservative and progressive. Traditionalist and supporter of ecclesiastical liberalism. Saints Peter and Paul. On the occasion of their joint celebration on June 29, what is most often emphasized is what makes them different. Since they are so different and with different paths to Christ, why does the Church honor them the same day? Because they are the foundation of unity.
One celebration
Today we know that they did not die the same day. Yet the Church, from her beginnings, has linked together the two great Apostles. The tradition, recorded by Henryk Sienkiewicz in "Quo Vadis", that one day they gave their lives for the faith in Christ, is only an additional confirmation of what the oldest inscriptions in the catacombs or ancient Roman mosaics say. The oldest testimonies about the joint feast of the apostles Peter and Paul come from the third century. So, theirFeasts were celebrated earlier than Christmas was celebrated. Attempts to divide the celebrations into two days - one for St. Peter, the other for St. Paul were unsuccessful. The essence of this day, says St. Augustine, "for us sanctified by the passion of the holy apostles Peter and Paul", is precisely the common celebration of the solemnity, and therefore the feast of the highest rank. In addition, both Simon-Peter and Saul-Paul also have separate holidays in the calendar: January 25 is the feast of the conversion of St. Paul, and on February 22, the Cathedral of St. Peter.
First among the apostles
Simon Peter, a simple fisherman, arrived in Rome from the Sea of Galilee and brought an exceptionally rich baggage of personal experience of three years of intimacy with Jesus Christ. Hearing the words of Jesus: " Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." (cf. Lk 5:10), he left everything and followed Jesus. Following the Master was not easy. There was a moment when the Master said: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah" (Mt 16:17), but on another occasion Peter heard bitter words from him: " Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me…” (cf. Mt 16:23). The passion and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth are some of the weakest moments in following the Master. However, Peter did not hide these painful experiences which became a great school of life for him. Even after Christ's resurrection, he felt a bit lost, and it was only Pentecost that renewed his faith in the Master and brought a different dimension to Peter's life. With courage, he began to preach the Gospel of salvation: "Men of Israel, listen to what I say ..." (cf. Acts 2:22). From the moment the Holy Spirit descended, it was no longer the same Peter. He courageously led the first community of the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, animated, corrected mistakes, coordinated the life and activity of the faithful and apostles. Under his guidance, the apostles and community elders made important decisions about the future of the Church, especially regarding obeying the Law. The bold inspiration by the Holy Spirit clearly marked the further development of Christianity. Peter moved to Caesarea quite quickly and then he found himself in Rome.
Apostle of the Nations
Saul, later Paul, followed a different path in following Jesus of Nazareth. This Pharisee of Tarsus, from Gamaliel's school in Jerusalem, was a fierce persecutor of Christ's followers. Since the meeting at Damascus, Jesus has become the center of his life, just as he is the center of human history. However, the sudden conversion and faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer of the world made many community members unable to accept this surprising transformation of Saul. The zeal with which he persecuted Christ's disciples turned into a zeal to proclaim the Gospel and to apostleship for the crucified and risen Jesus. According to the account of the Acts of the Apostles, Paul made four great missionary journeys, establishing communities of believers in Jesus Christ. Entrepreneurship in finding new ways and taking up different methods of proclaiming the Word of God, supported by the action of the Holy Spirit, has brought amazing fruits. The greatness and extraordinary nature of his pedagogy in preaching was not limited only to establishing Christian communities, Paul knew how to strengthen the communities in faith from a geographical and time distance. Hence the letters written to the communities in Thessalonica, Corinth, Philippi, Galatia, Ephesus, Colossi and Rome - this letter was programmed and prepared for the arrival of Paul. Some Pauline epistles were written earlier than the four Gospels and contain the essence of the redemptive work accomplished in Jesus Christ. They are a unique repository of deep spiritual and theological knowledge for the Church. The Spirit also led Paul to Rome, where his fate again crossed with the fate of Peter.
In the Eternal City
Rome became the "promised land" for these two apostles, where they ended their lives by giving a radical witness of faith and accepting martyrdom as a grace for the faithfulness of the giver of eternal life. According to tradition, Peter was crucified upside down and buried on the Vatican Hill, in an ordinary necropolis. Today the greatest Christian temple stands over the tomb of this modest fisherman, who came from the outskirts of Galilee very little known in his time, to the metropolis of Rome and the center of the contemporary world. However, the first Roman Christians could not even afford a stone slab to cover the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles. Only a few large tiles were placed on the grave, the same kind of tiles placed on the roofs. Around 160, however, the apostle's tomb was separated from others with a large wall, which was painted red and a real tombstone was made. More and more people visit Peter’s tomb. In recent years, the number of visitors to St. Peter's Basilica is around 10 million a year. Of course, not all of them come here as pilgrims to experience a unique spiritual experience in this central place of the Church's religious life. Many enter the temple as tourists to admire the human genius expressed in the art of architecture, painting and sculpture. But they too get spiritually enriched.
Paul came to Rome as a prisoner. He seems to have had, however, relative freedom to interact with people. The Acts of the Apostles informs that " He remained for two full years in his lodgings. He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. " (cf. Acts 28:30-31). The genius of the Apostle of the Nations helped him, as in all his apostolic ministry, in fulfilling his mission in every situation, even in prison. According to tradition, he was beheaded with a sword and buried in the cemetery on the road leading to Ostia. On his grave, as on Peter's, a basilica was erected in antiquity, in the time of Emperor Constantine, which, like St. Peter was rebuilt few times in history. Even today, the tomb of the Apostle Paul can be visited there.
More than two thousand years have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. These two Jewish immigrants in Rome made a decisive contribution to his preaching. Peter and Paul did not begin preaching the Gospel in the court of the emperor or in the senate, although the values of the Gospel may have echoed there as well. They began with ordinary personal contact, the simplest testimony of faith in the immediate environment. The strength of their faith and the courage of their testimony became the rock and foundation of the faith of the people of Rome, of many generations of Christians and ours.
Peter and Paul. The Church is founded on these two holy sinners
The Pope who denied Jesus and the Apostle to the Nations fighting against the Church. Quite strange figures for the pillars of the Church. Both have a serious flaw in their résumé. A stain that they did not deny themselves, nor has the Church ever swept it under the carpet. It is interesting that Jesus did not choose people with an unblemished history, he entrusted the fate of his Church into the hands of those who experienced so much their own weakness and sinfulness. Perhaps this is their advantage. Peter and Paul knew perfectly well that they did not deserve the position they occupy in the Church. They knew that their calling was a sign of God's grace. A grace that is undeserved, free, that comes to the weak.
Paul emphasizes this many times in his letters, he is not ashamed of his weakness, he boasts of it, because in it the power of God can be revealed. If sinners could become the pillars of the Church, it means that from the beginning the Church was, still is and will always be a community of sinners, weak people, in whom God's grace is at work.
Peter and Paul once entered into a serious dispute between themselves. Paul accused Peter of being insincere, and behaving differently with pagans only in their presence, and differently when other Jews were also present. He was outraged by his behavior. Yes, the Pope and the Apostle to the Nations quarreled. Today we remember them together. There is also room in the Church for quarrels and disagreements with each other, because in the Church there is room for human weakness. Thank God that the Church did not retouch the stories of Peter and Paul, did not fear scandal, and left them true, also in their weakness.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george