ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL
“Compare and contrast.…” Recalling essay assignments and exam questions from our student days, we might remember these words. The process of comparing and contrasting two different persons, events or circumstances invited us to think, to reflect and often to draw a conclusion of one sort or another. These were intended to highlight or to deepen our knowledge and understanding of a particular aspect of our learning.
Books and essays have compared and contrasted the lives of St. Peter and St. Paul, the two men whose feast we celebrate today. And the conclusion is usually something along the lines of the unique and yet somehow similar vocations of these two revered saints. In the space of this short reflection, it might be useful to briefly highlight some aspects of their lives that could help us to be more faithful to our own unique call.
Very briefly, Peter was a fisherman who dropped what he was doing in response to the invitation Jesus offered. He needed a specific invitation; he did not volunteer or presume a place in the newly beginning ministry of the man called Jesus. While he responded to the invitation, he also continued to live as a family man. Recall that Jesus visited Peter’s home, curing his mother-in-law of an illness that had kept her bedridden.
Paul was a learned man, a Pharisee who attended to his first work with a fierce and deadly dedication. He openly and publicly persecuted followers of Jesus. Until… he was knocked off his horse, left blind, and very much in need of support. A special mentor helped him to enter into the new life to which he was called. Paul was vocal in his belief that being unmarried was a higher and more worthy calling.
Peter seemed to have a more “start and stop” approach to his vocation. When Jesus was arrested, Peter lost courage, denying that he even knew Jesus. As Paul regained his sight, he felt a strong sense of re-direction. From that point on, it seems that he never wavered.
For the most part, Peter stayed closer to home. Paul was sent out on many missions, travelling far and wide as he lived out his vocation. Peter was the “Rock” on which the church was built. Paul is remembered as the “Apostle to the Gentiles.”
Peter and Paul came from different backgrounds: education; professional and personal lives; and a uniquely personal faith history. What they shared: an ever-growing willingness to be faith-full to their unique vocation.
The early church had many discussions about when and where and how the mission should be carried out. People brough their unique perspectives to these conversations. They were fiercely determined to keep alive the memory of Jesus, the Christ, in whom they believed, and to whom they dedicated their very lives.
Do we dare to “compare and contrast” the vocation of these two men of God? Do we need to highlight one over the other? What if we simply re-viewed their lives?
What might we learn from each one of them? What might strengthen us to be steadfast in living out our faith? What can help us when we are afraid or knocked off our own horse?
St. Peter and St. Paul learned to fully follow the One their faith proclaimed. They carried the grace of the One who had gone before them: Jesus, the Christ, who came to show us the way. All three knew the blood, sweat and tears that are part of the human journey.
Blood, sweat, and tears are salty. Life is… salty.
We ponder and treasure the words Jesus offers each one of us: You are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13).
A group of high school students recently chose the name SALT for their faith-based group. Their chosen image is shared here with gratitude.
United with St. Peter and St. Paul, may we all Serve And Live Truth.
Brenda Merk Hildebrand has a deep passion for lifelong learning, education, and spiritual and palliative care. She appreciates the opportunities that have come her way to share life’s transforming journey with others: one-with-one, through intentional group settings, in animating workshops and retreats, and by way of her writing. Brenda is a long-time contributor to Living with Christ.
