SOLEMNITY OF SAINT PETER AND SAINT PAUL

After 25 years of prison ministry, I can assure you that today’s first reading from Chapter 12 of the Acts of the Apostles is a prisoner’s favorite:  double chains, triple guards and Peter escapes. 

“Father Bill, why can’t that happen to one of us?” the prisoners would regularly ask me.  My answer was always the same, “Because your crime was entirely different than the offense Peter was charged with.”

Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, two great pillars of strength.  Peter and Paul were two men with different backgrounds and temperaments who disagreed with each other.  But they were both passionate in professing their conviction that Jesus Christ was their Lord and Savior.

The story is told of Peter and Paul being in heaven when Paul realized that Peter’s ministry at the pearly gates was a 24/7 commitment.  Being a nice guy, Paul suggested that Peter take a break to go fishing and Paul offered to stand guard at the gates.

St. Paul was watching the gates when two shady-looking guys approached and asked to enter.  Paul took one look at them and said, “I’ll be right back.” 

He went over to God and described the two guys.  God said, “You can’t be judgmental.  This is heaven, and all are forgiven and loved.  Go back and let them in.”

Paul went back, looked around and let out a heavy sigh.  He returned to God and said, “Well, they are gone.”

God asked, “You mean the guys that you thought looked shady?”

“No,” Paul said.  “The pearly gates.”

Both of these saints are an inspiration to me.  What I admire the most is:

• They were honest and humble enough to admit when they made a mistake.
• They recognized their sinfulness.
• They became inspired leaders in the early church.
• They both made personal conversions and proclaimed Jesus as their personal savior.

And they had a lot in common:

• Both were Jewish men.
• Both had name changes: Simon to Peter and Saul to Paul.
• Both had a profound change in their lives after they met the Lord.
• Both were imprisoned and martyred in Rome by Nero.

But they were also very different from each other:

• One was a fisherman, the other a tent-maker.
• We know Peter had a brother, Andrew.  We don’t know if Paul had siblings.
• One was married, and the other single.
• One was uneducated, and the other was very educated.
• One denied Jesus three times, the other killed early Christians.
• One momentarily walked on water, the other was thrown from his horse.
• Peter mainly ministered to the Jews, while Paul mostly ministered to the Gentiles.
• Peter was from the initial group of twelve apostles and Paul was not.
• One was crucified upside down, the other was beheaded.

Today’s second reading from 2 Timothy describes Paul’s awareness that he knows he is near the end of his life: “I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.”

Continuing this theme, the gospel takes us back to Peter’s admission of faith, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Jesus replies by blessing Peter, declaring, “Upon this rock I will build my Church” and giving Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.  What an honor Jesus bestowed on Simon Peter.

So, we return to heaven, where the pearly gates have been reinstalled by the time Peter returns from fishing.  He immediately goes back to his post guarding the gates.  Soon, three doctors who were killed in a car crash on their way to play golf appear at the gates.

Peter says to the first doctor, “Why should I let you in?” 

“I am a research physician and have developed surgical procedures to save people’s lives.”  Peter checks out his story and welcomes him to heaven.

Peter asks the same question to the second doctor who replies, “I have developed medications that cure arthritis and relieve suffering.”  Peter gives him the okay.

The third doctor is ready with his reply, “I am the doctor who created health insurance programs.  Now millions of patients have access to medical care.”

Peter thinks long and hard and says, “Okay, you can come in too, but you have to make arrangements for your co-pay.”

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are all blessed.  Remember this when you pray before receiving the Eucharist: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive You but only say the word and I shall be healed.”

We are forgiven, we are loved and we are blessed.