Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Year C
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of two great Apostles and Saints, Saint Peter and St. Paul, who through their transformation bore witness to Christ in their lives and with their lives; and whose lives shaped the early Church and continues to guide and inspire us today. Today we celebrate two ordinary people, who became the first pillars of the universal church, St. Peter, a smelly fisherman who was timid but became the head of the apostles, and St. Paul, a troublesome lawyer who hated christians and took their lives, but later became the apostle of the Gentiles.
St. Peter was a strong minded and straightforward man, who discovered who he was called to be and changed his life after he denied the Lord and broke down in tears. St. Paul on the other side was a strong willed and firm individual who found Christ after his life shattered on his way to Damascus. The checkered and shattered lives of Peter and Paul brought them into a new life of Christ, as they placed their trust in God through their crushing experiences.
So why is today’s Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul so important that it is celebrated on a Sunday? The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is normally celebrated on June 29th each year, which, in 2025, falls on a Sunday; and this happens roughly once every seven years. This Solemnity is celebrated on a Sunday because: (A) It commemorates the martyrdom of these two great and important apostles in Rome. (B) Saints Peter and Paul are considered foundational figures of the Church and they are honored as the founders of the Church in Rome. (C) Saint Peter, one of the Twelve Apostles, is known as the "rock" upon which Christ built his Church as we heard in the gospel reading. And Saint Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, was instrumental in spreading the Faith. (D) To recall and show the Church’s identity as both an institution and a movement, through the faith and zeal of Saints Peter and Paul.
So what does today’s solemnity teach us? The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul teaches us:
- To hear and answer God‘s call to be Christ’s disciples, no matter who we are or how sinful we think we are.
- To give up and sacrifice everything for Christ and His gospel, because the crown of righteousness awaits us after our lives on earth.
- To gradually change our weaknesses to strengths by truly trusting in God.
- To show our fidelity to God no matter the challenges we face or encounter.
- To be firm in our beliefs and faith in God, because He will rescue us from every evil threat and will bring us safe to his heavenly kingdom.
My dear brothers and sisters, as we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul today, let us strive to follow their footsteps and example of faith by truly hearing and answering our call to discipleship; by sacrificing all for Christ and His gospel; by working hard in our spiritual lives to change our weaknesses to strengths; and by being always firm and faithful to God in all we do.
