Dear friends in Jesus,
Today, we celebrate the feast of two of the greatest apostles, Sts. Peter and Paul. Sundays are solemnities of the Lord, highlighting how much the Church values these two pillars by celebrating them on this day. On such a wonderful occasion, we should reflect on their greatness. However, I want to take a moment to consider their weaknesses and how they struggled to find or follow Jesus.
Look at all the apostles! They were ordinary, broken human beings. Despite walking with Jesus for three years, none of them truly understood Him. In today’s gospel, Peter is presented as someone who knows Jesus well, yet immediately after confessing who Jesus is, he receives a rebuke from Him. One of the apostles betrayed Jesus, another denied Him, most fell asleep during His agony, and some even ran away naked when He needed them most. In the end, no apostle remained with Jesus during His passion, and one actually persecuted Him. By human standards, none stood out as better than the others.
Yet, what made them apostles? What led them to die for Him? Perhaps it is that none of them waited until they were perfect to follow Him. None of them focused on their brokenness or the daily crosses they would carry; instead, they centered their lives on Christ. They fixed their gaze on Him, and that made all the difference. St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, "Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to abolish things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God." If we were to rely on our own perfection in following Christ, we would surely become discouraged. We are not saved by our perfection but by the mercy of the Lord. Following Christ will involve hardships and struggles. The greatest struggle we face may very well be within ourselves. Do not be alarmed; hold fast to Him.
There is a legendary story about St. Francis of Assisi. One day, Francis and his disciple Leo, after enduring a long day of preaching and receiving insults and stones from villagers, sought shelter for the night. They came upon a monastery and knocked on its door. A large monk answered, listened to their needs, and then beat them with sticks before throwing them into a pit used for dumping snow. At that time, Francis and Leo were constantly reflecting on what the perfect joy on earth might be. Now, lying in the pit, wounded and freezing, Leo was devastated. But Francis, instead of despairing, stood up and began to dance. Leo, furious, could not understand this new behavior from Francis. In his joy, Francis exclaimed, "Leo, I have found what the perfect joy on earth is!" What was it? That nothing—no misery or calamity of this world—can destroy the divine presence within me.
Despite their own struggles, the apostles never lost sight of Jesus. We must not lose sight of Him either. Let us stop worrying about ourselves and anxiously cling to Him. That is the secret to our joy and fulfillment. We must take up our daily crosses, as our lives and those around us bring their own challenges, and follow Him. St. Paul rejoices as he asks, "What can separate us from the love of Christ?" Paul had grasped this truth. Peter understood it when he experienced the miraculous catch of fish, overwhelmed by the Lord’s presence in his life.
Do you know what the priest prays when he drops a bit of water into the wine during the offertory? "By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled Himself to share in our humanity." Just as that drop of water symbolizes our frail humanity, let us immerse ourselves in the divinity of Christ. The apostles did this, and we strive to follow their great example. So, what indeed can separate us from the love of Christ?
George Nikhil SJ