Reflection on Mass readings for June 29 (Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles)
Acts 12:1-11
Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
Matthew 16:13-19
The power of God over earthly, or temporal, matters is an important theme in the readings for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. Jesus displayed great power over the physical world in his earthly ministry, through his miracles.
Psalm 34 proclaims how it was the power of God that freed the psalmist, enabled him to withstand the evils of the world and rescued him from all his distress. The power of God overcomes all temporal power.
In the reading from Acts of the Apostles, God sends a messenger to free Peter from the grip of King Herod. It seems that double chains and at least sixteen soldiers, four squads of four soldiers each, were no match for God. The two guards on either side of Peter do not sense or hear the chains dropping from his wrists. The other guards do not notice as Peter and the messenger walk past them and then the locked iron gate opens as they approach it.
In writing to Timothy, Paul speaks with certainty about what God has done for him; how God stayed with him and how through God’s power he was able to overcome many trials and tribulations for the sake of the Gospel.
It was the power of God that helped Paul complete the mission given to him by God, who “stood by me and gave me strength” during Paul’s ministry to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.
Paul says that it was through this power of God that he “was rescued from the lion’s mouth” and that the “Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim 4:17-18).
In the Gospel reading for this feast, Jesus gets right to the heart of the matter with his disciples. He asks the apostles directly, “Who do you say that I am?” Without hesitation, Simon Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” It was not temporal power that revealed this to Simon, but the Heavenly Father. It is through Simon, now called Peter, that the Church, built on this rock, will have such great power that “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).
At his Ascension, Jesus says to the apostles and those gathered there, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8). Paul receives this same Spirit and power to preach to the Gentiles and helps spread the Gospel message to the known world. We, too, have been given the same power, through this same Spirit given to all of us at our baptism and confirmation.
This power can bring Christ into the world, if we look for the blind and lame, the widows and orphans, and aliens in our communities. Do we place heavy burdens on these people or ease their burdens?
We can stand with the likes of those whose company Jesus Christ kept by helping to spread the Gospel message throughout the known world, even in the face of trials and tribulations, and speaking out against injustice in the world.
Deacon Christopher Colville serves at Church of the Redeemer, Mechanicsville.