29/06/2008 - 13th. Sunday - Ss. Peter
& Paul, Apostles
Ist. Reading At 12, 1-11 Psalm 33 2nd. 2Tim 4, 6-8.17.18 Gospel Mt 16, 13-19
Opening of the Pauline Year
"For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate":
the mystery of Jesus' death is a historical event. The name of Pontius Pilate
is not mentioned for any other reason. Confessing our faith we don't want to
condemn or criticize anyone, we don't want to lapidate anybody, because we are
sinners as much as those who condemned Jesus and gave him the death sentence.
Mentioning the name of Pilate we want to underline that the incarnation and
the other facts around Jesus were real events in the history of humanity.
Our faith is not a collection of nice, holy, wise ideas. The faith of the Church
is based on events that happened at a precise moment of history and in particular
places of the planet. The time and the place are defined by the name of the
man who was a governor of Judea from the year 26-36 of our era. By mentioning
his name we don't pass any judgment on him or on the Jewish leaders to whom
he listened. As I have already mentioned, this is not the reason why we mention
his name, and neither the reason why we proclaim our faith. On the contrary!
Our faith calls us to love our enemies, because God's love is a love for sinners,
that is, for his enemies. We leave the judgment unto God on the behavior of
those who were responsible for the death of Jesus. We know that it was one of
his own disciples betrayed him for money, and that Peter sworn that he didn't
know him, and all the others left him alone. We are not better than them, neither
than those who cried out to Pilate "crucify him", nor than the soldiers
that were having a good time adding pain and suffering to the Lord. Jesus offered
his life to the Father on our behalf, but also on their behalf, for the salvation
of all those who cursed him and wanted to get rid of him and his memory in history.
Today we celebrate the solemnity of the apostles who finished the race of their
faith in Rome during the first persecution of the Christians. We know that Peter
arrived in Rome from Antioch of Syria, but we don't know when, neither we have
information about his activity in the capital city of the Roman Empire. About
Paul we know that he arrived in Rome beginning of the year 62 after the shipwreck
in Malta, and that he passed two years house arrest. Peter died on a cross,
probably during the ferocious persecution by Nero after the burning of Rome.
Paul, a roman citizen, was beheaded and buried outside the walls of the city,
most probably in the year 67. The two apostles came to know each other in Jerusalem,
then they met again in Antioch, where Paul had the courage to stand up to Peter
with love because of the latter's weakness and uncertainty in confessing the
faith in the redemptive value of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
It was not the first time that Peter got scolded: he received several from Jesus
himself; hence he was grateful for Paul's one!
Paul didn't know directly Jesus, if not when he met him in his vision on his
way to cancel his memory form the Jewish People. That meeting that happened
on the road to Damascus, marked his life, changed him radically deep down. He
came to understand that we need do anything to be saved, but only believe in
Jesus, give him our life, and let him lead us. He dedicated all his time and
energy to proclaim this faith, shared by all the apostles, with whom he met
in Jerusalem. He was called apostle because of his full time ministry for the
sake of the Gospel. He suffered tremendously, because in every city the Jewish
were after him to report him, and even the pagans use to persecute him, because
through the Good News he was inviting people to change customs like what happened
in Ephesus with the gold and silver smiths of pagan gods, or at Philippi of
Macedonia with the lords of a slave girl possessed by an evil spirit. In both
events his enemies were against him because they were loosing money. In fact
he describes his life as a "good battle" and "my race" during
which he remained faithful to Jesus! Today we begin the year dedicated to the
bi-millennium since his birth!
Even Peter had to suffer: today's reading from the Book of Acts tells us of
how he was freed from the prison in which Herod had put him. We know that the
Lord had answered his prayer when, because of his faith, the paralytic in Lydda
got healed, and Tabitha of Jaffa was resurrected. Jesus himself had praised
Peter's faith, even though when this one professed it, he didn't fully comprehend
what it meant. He had said in front of all: "You are the Christ, the Son
of God"! Because of this faith Jesus gave him the keys of the Kingdom of
Heaven and proclaimed him "Peter" on which the Church was to be built!
Today's feast brings together the two who believed and loved Jesus. On their
example, today, we too want to give our love, our lives and our faithfulness
to him! Amen.