Feast of SS Peter and Paul, 28 June 2008

‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’

When things go wrong, when troubles come along, when sickness strikes and death lurks at the door we feel very lonely and terribly isolated. This loneliness and isolation, the separation is not just from those around us, family and friends, but often we feel abandoned by God. Peter also felt this isolation when he was put in prison. Paul similarly on several occasions, felt abandoned by those he thought were supporting him and even betrayed by his closest allies. Despite this he was able to assert his faith in God’s continual providential presence:

The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

For the times we have not recognised God’s presence with us, when we have failed to witness to his providential love and care for us, we ask for mercy and pardon.

Lord, you listen to all who call on you.
Lord, have mercy

You answer all who seek you.
Christ, have mercy

You rescue all those who revere you.
Lord, have mercy.

Sermon

I can remember back in 1982 when Pope John-Paul was shot. We got the news sometime in the late morning, early afternoon and we decided that we should have a period of exposition and a Mass in the evening for the whole parish. It was an inner city parish of Salford and we were wondering how we could get the news around the place so that everyone would know in such a short time. Remember, this was long before mobile phones and the internet. So, we decided to let one or two people know, the sort of people we recognised as – well they like to chat a lot, if I can put it diplomatically!

It was late morning, early afternoon, between twelve and one o’clock and we were going to have exposition at six for an hour, and Mass at seven. Well, the place was packed out. The news had spread like wild fire and everyone in the area, including the Anglican Church down the Road and the Synagogue at the top of the street, knew about it and passed the message on. In this situation it was a case of bad news spreading like wild fire.

One of the difficulties of my present job and, in fact, the last couple of jobs I have had, is making sure that people are aware of what is confidential information and what is for general consumption. It is not easy. People’s understanding of confidentiality differs from person to person. In fact, in my more cynical moments I have come to the conclusion that confidentiality means that you can only share the information with one person at time, instead of telling it to a group! Say something is confidential and you can be sure that it will be spread from person to person in the shortest possible time!

Today we are celebrating the feast of SS Peter and Paul, apostles. Peter, the rock, the one on whom the Church was built, and Paul the great preacher and disseminator of the faith. Both called to gather the people of God together in unity and both witnesses to Christ even to the point of shedding their blood. They travelled the known world at the time spreading the good news of Christ who had died, who had risen and who would come again. They spent their lives in strengthening the body of Christ, ensuring that everything was built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ himself. They were truly active and alive in Jesus Christ.

They were special people, weren’t they, and they were given a special mission? That is why we are celebrating their feast day today. You don’t get too many of those in a pack. People like you and me are lost in admiration as we think of them and the more we know about their lives, the more we recognise that they are in a different league to the rest of us.

I have been doing a lot of confirmations recently, and therefore the prayers and the rites of the sacrament are fresher in my mind than they have been before. Confirmation has always meant a lot to me, but suddenly in these last few months it has been thrown into relief by its very frequency. Just let me remind all of us who have been confirmed what was said to us.

You must be witnesses before all the world to his suffering, death, and resurrection; your way of life should at all times reflect the goodness of Christ. Christ gives varied gifts to his Church and the Spirit distributes them among the members of Christ’s body to build up the holy people of God in unity and love.

Be active members of the Church, alive in Jesus Christ. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit give your lives completely in the service of all, as did Christ, who came not to be served but to serve.

Witnesses/to build up the holy people of God in unity and love/active members of the Church, alive in Jesus Christ/under the guidance of the Holy Spirit give your lives completely in the service of all, as did Christ, who came not to be served but to serve. Just change everyone’s name to Peter and Paul and there’s a perfect match.

Peter and Paul were ordinary human beings with all the strengths that come with their humanity and all the weaknesses too. They were involved with the ordinary everyday realities of life, work, relationships etc. And God called them to be our leader in faith and to be its fearless preacher. To Peter Jesus said: ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church.’ Paul was able to say: ‘The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear.’

If we are to fulfil our calling, the one we received at confirmation by the laying on of hands by being sent in the name of the Church, then it is in trusting that the Lord will stand by us too, and give us his power; it is by listening to the voice of the Father revealing the truth about Jesus in the power of the Spirit. On this feast of Peter and Paul who were called and sent to preach the good news, may we take our Christian calling more seriously for today and tomorrow at least. May we recognise that we are called to be spreaders and preachers of the good news and to witness by our lives to Christ who has died, risen and who will come again.