2 Apostles, 2 Paths, 1 Mission – Jun 29 – Homily – Fr John Lawrence

 

Fr John Lawrence gives the homily at Bloomington, IN on Jun 29, 2023, solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, on how these two apostles, Peter and Paul, had two very different paths but had the same mission, like two rivers that meet and blend together and ended their lives in Rome.

Saints Peter and Paul, were two apostles who, despite different origins, united in their service to Christ and concluded their journeys in Rome. Born in disparate circumstances, Peter was a fisherman from Galilee while Paul was a Roman citizen from Tarsus. Paul was a learned man, conversant in Greek, rhetoric, and philosophy. Peter was a simple believer. Both had a fervor for serving God, but embraced Christianity via distinct routes. Peter was drawn to the messianic promise of John the Baptist and later Jesus, while Paul initially persecuted the fledgling Christian faith until Christ's apparition on the road to Damascus transformed his life.

After Christ's resurrection, Peter was anointed the leader of the early Church. Despite this, he was arrested by Herod Agrippa. The community prayed earnestly for Peter, with possibly Paul, by then a convert, joining them. Peter, confident of his path to heaven, was released by an angel, an event recalled in the second reading. Subsequently, Peter left Palestine and made Rome his new home. Later, he established a chair in Antioch before returning to Rome permanently. Each bishop of Rome is hence the Pope and Vicar of Christ.

Paul, post-conversion, embarked on missionary journeys before being imprisoned in Rome. After release, he traveled as far as Spain before a second imprisonment. During this, he wrote his final letters. Both apostles met their end in Nero's Rome. God's numerous interventions in their lives highlight the sanctity of their martyrdom.

00:00 – Introduction
00:42 – Backgrounds of Saints Peter and Paul
02:08 – Their Individual Paths to Christianity
03:18 – Opposition and Conversion of Paul
04:02 – Apostolic Missions and Early Persecutions
05:21 – Divine Interventions and Miraculous Escapes
06:55 – The Journey to Rome and Evangelistic Efforts
07:58 – The Lasting Influence and Martyrdom of Peter and Paul

Ave Maria!

Mass: Sts. Peter and Paul - Solemnity - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_Saints_Peter_and_Paul
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/062923.cfm
1st: act 12:1-11
Resp: psa 34:2-9
2nd: 2ti 4:6-8, 17-18
Gsp: mat 16:13-19

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1098

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