The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul - June 29, 2025 (Year C)

This week we celebrate the Solemnity of two great exemplars of the faith from the early days of Christianity, Saints Peter and Paul.  We hear of an angel coming to save Peter from prison, an answer to the prayers of many of his fellow believers in Jesus.  And with Paul, we hear how he has now given his life wholeheartedly and submitted his life to the proclamation of Jesus and God's Word.  In both instances, we see how fruitful devotion to God can be, as Peter is spared his potential death sentence and Paul describes the eternal rewards that await him and all of us, if only we follow the way of the righteous.  Both of these Saints are great examples for us, as they both displayed not only their loyalty to God in the heroic acts but also their humanity in their misdeeds - Peter's denial of Jesus and Paul's life prior to his conversion.  

In the Gospel reading, we hear Peter's declaration that Jesus is the Son of God, and Jesus bestows upon Simon the responsibility of leadership and being the rock for the Church.  As Jesus points out, Peter has made this statement on faith alone, as this occurs before the Resurrection.  Jesus had performed many miracles at this point, but so too had Elijah, as the others had referenced.  Only Peter had the faith to take that leap, and his convictions were rewarded.  As I mentioned before, this shows the great gifts that God can and will bestow upon us if we believe and proclaim the good word, that of His Son, Jesus.



Disclaimer: This will be at the bottom of all reflections, but I’m not intending to put out any sort of professional critique, attempt at a homily, or investigation into the historicity of the readings, but will “let the Spirit move me” as some say, to share what has spoken to me in my reading and reflection on the set of Readings for each week.  

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