THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Wednesday of 13^th Week in Ordinary Time, 2022

Acts 12:1-11

2Tm 4:6-8, 17-18

Ps 34

Matt 16:13-19

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

I have kept the faith

According to the gospel reading (Mt 16:13-19), what singled Peter out from the other disciples was his God-given insight into the identity of Jesus. It was because of his unique insight that Jesus gives Peter a unique role among his followers. He is to be the rock, the firm foundation, on which Jesus will build his church. Peter’s role is further spelled out by Jesus giving him the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The image of the keys suggests authority. The nature of that authority is expressed in terms of binding and loosing. This refers to a teaching authority. Peter is being entrusted with the task of authoritatively interpreting the teaching of Jesus for other members of the church. Yet, this same Peter immediately tries to deflect Jesus from taking the way of the cross, and when Jesus did take that way, Peter would deny any association with him. Jesus gives a significant role to someone who remains very flawed. 

If the gospel reading associates teaching with Peter, the second reading (2Tm 4:6-8, 17-18) associates preaching with Paul. In that reading, Paul refers to the Lord who ‘gave me power so that through me the whole message might be preached for all the pagans to hear’. Paul was the great preacher of the gospel to the pagans throughout the Roman Empire. He preached it for the last time, in the city of Rome, where, like Peter, he was martyred for his faith in Christ. Our second reading today may well have been written from his Roman imprisonment, ‘I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith’. The image of the fight and the race suggest that ‘keeping the faith was a struggle for Paul; it did not come easy to him, just as keeping the faith did not come easy to Peter either. Keeping the faith does not always come easy to any of us.

Paul was very aware that keeping the faith was not due primarily to his efforts; it was the Lord who enabled him to keep the faith. As he says in this morning’s second reading, ‘the Lord stood by me and gave me power. It is the Lord who empowers all of us to keep the faith; his faithfulness to us enables us to be faithful to him. The faithful witness of Peter and Paul speaks to us ultimately of the Lord’s faithfulness to us all.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, unbind me that I may love you wholly and walk in the freedom of your way of love and holiness. Amen

+Remain blessed