Saints Peter and Paul

Shortly after the Resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples. John records a striking exchange between Jesus and Peter. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, and three times Peter responds. In English, the repetition might seem redundant. But in Greek, the dialogue reveals a tender and profound encounter of hearts (John 21:15–17).

Jesus first asks Peter if he loves Him with agapē, the highest, most self-giving love.Peter, still humbled by his past denial, responds honestly. He loves Jesus as a friend, phileō.On the third asking, Jesus comes down to meet Peter where he is: “Peter, do you even love Me as a friend?”Grieved, Peter replies, “Lord, You know everything. You know that I love You.”

Jesus accepts Peter’s sincere, though imperfect, love and entrusts him with a mission: “Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.” Peter is made shepherd of the flock. He is given the very mission of Christ Himself. And Jesus ends with the same words He once spoke at the beginning: “Follow Me” (John 21:19).

Previously, Peter had denied Christ (Luke 22:54–62). He had shrunk back in fear. But now, Peter is empowered by grace. He is not cast aside in his weakness, but strengthened in repentance. Strengthened in love.

In Acts, we see the fruit of this transformation. Peter and John go to the temple, not with riches or influence, but with the name of Jesus Christ. Peter offers what he has, and through that name, a crippled man is healed. Not for Peter’s glory, but for God’s (Acts 3:1–10).

This same message goes out to the ends of the earth. As Psalm 19, the responsorial psalm for today’s feast, declares: “Their message goes out through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:4). We ourselves are living evidence.

Later, we meet Paul, once a persecutor of the Church, now also chosen. Like Peter, he receives his mission directly from Christ. As he explains in Galatians, he was not sent by men or taught by the Apostles, but through a revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11–12). Different paths, same Lord, same mission.

Eventually, Paul travels to Jerusalem to confer with Peter. Though their backgrounds were vastly different, their message was the same: love God, love neighbor, and proclaim Christ to the world (Galatians 2:1–10). And like Peter, Paul would give his life for the Gospel. Neither man shrank back (2 Timothy 4:6–8; John 21:18–19).

Both Peter and Paul were great sinners. But God did not reject them. He chose them, because God’s plan is not built on human merit. He chooses the imperfect, the repentant, the faithful. That is why we celebrate these two saints. They are the chosen instruments of Christ and the foundation of His Church (cf. Ephesians 2:19–20). Not because they were flawless, but because they followed.

Their lives offer a model for us. We will fail. We will fall short. But we are not beyond hope. God offers us the grace to follow Him. Spreading the Gospel is hard. But He makes us fit for the task, not for our glory, but for His, and ultimately for our joy.

Reflection Question:Where in your life are you holding back out of fear or past failure—and how might God be inviting you, like Peter and Paul, to trust in His grace and follow Him anyway?