Walking with Jesus on the Feasts of Saints Peter and Paul

For Sunday, June 29, 2025

Acts 12:1-11; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18; Matthew 16:13-19


Do I realize that God is actively involved in my life? When I am aware of this, am I filled with gratitude ... disbelief ... questionable doubt? Do I care about how I live my life accordingly, or do I continue to do what I want to do because “I want to do it?” Do I want to do my will or God’s will? So I ask, what is God’s will: Will it be hard, difficult and unbending? Will it be living an unhappy and disappointed life? Doing God’s will is more a matter of growing into the kind of person I’m meant to be. So am I living each day as a person of caring, loving, forgiving? How do I do this? The question to ask is: Is this action consistent with who I am and want to become? That's a great reflection for each of us to ask ourselves — moment to moment — in discovering how we can be a caring, loving, forgiving person in the now that we're living. Today we hear from two models of living God’s will who show us how to live this life.

Imagine a man sitting in a prison in Jerusalem. How did he get there? He had a wife, probably a family; Jesus’ miracle brought his mother-in-law back to life. This man had partners (James and John) in his fishing business, and with all that help it had to be a respectable business. He had listened to, followed, and come to love Jesus. He left this paying job and followed Him. He saw Him arrested and put to death, and he ran and was ashamed. Jesus was killed and this man was left to carry out His mission: saving souls. He traveled about convincing people to realize that they were loved by God each moment. Living God’s life is accomplished when one touches another’s with God’s love so they can see that loving is what life — and the afterlife in heaven — is all about. Now this man sits in prison thinking, was it all worth it? Wouldn’t it have been better to be an anonymous fisherman going about his daily business? Was continuing the work of Jesus even possible? This man didn’t consider himself anything but ordinary. And we consider ourselves the same and ask the same questions. Peter’s life is one of realizing to let go and let God be the source of all help and love.

Paul is a firebrand of a preacher. He is gifted … a great speaker … brilliant in explaining things. He mesmerizes his listeners and often can explain things so simply and right. God is love, and love is kind … patient … not pompous … not inflated ... not rude ... it doesn’t seek its own interests but moves with the truth. This is what God is and how God cares for us. Today Paul is also in prison, in Rome. It’s like we’re reading his last will and testament confirming that he has lived a difficult life with countless hardships and threats on his life, along with beatings and imprisonment. He knows he will die shortly by beheading, yet he knows his prize is an eternal “coin of righteousness” superior to anything he could dream up: heaven forever with this God of love, along with all the people who were taught, lived and knew God loves them. He knows He is loved, and this love from God sustains all. Do I ask?

These two — Peter and Paul — flawed, searching, determined, headstrong, obstinate witnesses of God’s love — had one thing in common: Jesus touched them and chose them. He’s done the same to each of us. So often we see in our daily lives that I am loved … this person touched me and made me feel important, special. It’s a great feeling (this is from God) and I go out and touch another. It’s like a domino effect. I go out, help another, and I feel so good and their thank-you fills me with a wonder that I touched another. (This is an affirmation from God too.) And yet Peter and Paul are in prison mulling over their failures, weaknesses and shortcomings, even feeling weighed down by their own sins. (Doesn’t this sound familiar?) This is you and me, and it’s about love — and God made that happen in your life and mine because, as I love to say, God is crazy in love with you and me just the way we are now ... and He needs us to love, and we do. And He loves us and has promised us life forever with God, our God of love: the Father, Son, and Spirit.

So I reflect on:

• I reflect on the times my angel has touched me with the awareness of another in need and I responded. What was it like? What did I learn about God? What was my response?
• I look around at family, friends, community. Who needs my prayer ... my light … my appearance as an angel of God? Can I respond to them today? What holds me back?

Sacred Space 2025 states:

“Peter answers for the disciples that Jesus is ‘Messiah the Son of the living God.’ Only God can reveal God to us and as Jesus asks of his disciples, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ is one of the key questions that Jesus asks all of His followers. Who am I for you? What do I mean to you? Let us answer this question now in our prayer to the Lord.

“As we reflect and pray on this question, we ask ourselves, ‘Do I really like Jesus?’ which is another way of asking, ‘How well do I know Him?’ We can only love someone we know, and we are all called to love Jesus and to follow Him. Although we can never understand God we can come to know and love Him through His Son Jesus Christ.”