Posted on junio 27, 2025 View all Gospel Reflection
“I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas…” (1 Galatians 1:18)
This Sunday we celebrate the solemnity of two great saints – St. Peter and St. Paul. It is a bit ironic that we celebrate them together. At various times in church history we have seen how the two of them had some differences in opinion. But what is especially important for us is that they worked out those differences within the Church and that St. Paul was humble enough to accede to the primacy of St. Peter as the head of the Church on earth. It is really a humbling testimony and witness of the Church that we celebrate these two saints together on the same day. In fact, the Church can trace back this joint celebration at least back to the year 258 AD.
As we know, St. Paul was at first a very zealous Jew and strictly observed the Jewish Law. It was this that drove him to persecute the early Christians. After his conversion, it is not unexpected to see that he believes that converts from paganism to Christianity should also observe the Jewish Laws as well. On the other hand, St. Peter at times was seen observing the Jewish Law when he was with Christians who were formerly Jewish, and then he would not observe those laws when he was with Christians who converted from paganism. This is seen in St. Paul’s criticism of St. Peter in Galatians when he criticized St. Peter of how he was behaving with the two groups (Gal. 2:11-14).
What we do see is that later St. Paul would reconcile himself to the viewpoint that following the Jewish Law was not required for salvation and for the Christian life in the Council of Jerusalem (51 AD). In what I am sure was a great act of humility, after expressing his position with great vigor, St. Paul accepted the wisdom of the Council in union with St. Peter the first Pope and moved on. Would that we accept decisions and the Church’s teachings and move on with our lives. All too often we get stuck in our opinions and then lose the benefit of the many graces that the Lord wishes to bestow upon us if we but allowed Him to reign freely in our hearts.
As we celebrate these two great saints we also can draw hope and encouragement by their lives. Each of these men had moments when they persecuted or denied Jesus Christ. Yet both of them were vitally instrumental in the great evangelization of the early church. This should give us hope that the Lord can work tremendous things with us even despite our own personal sinfulness. When Jesus asks us “who do you say that I am?” let us be ready to respond with promptitude that Jesus is our Lord and King, that he is Christ, the Son of the Living God.
