Saints + Scripture: Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

'Tis the Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul, Apostles (died circa 64; A.K.A. Simon, Cephas; A.K.A. Saul of Tarsus), first (I) Bishop of Rome (c. 33-64), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Nero: Apostles-link Peter & Paul & Wikipedia-link Feast; Apostle-link Peter ūnus, Apostle-link Peter duo, & Wikipedia-link Peter; Apostle-link Paul & Wikipedia-link Paul; Apostles-link & Wikipedia-link Apostles; & Pontifex-link & Wikipedia-link Pontifex.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. St. Peter is the brother of St. Andrew the Apostle [30 November]. Ss. Peter & Paul are the authors of most of the New Testament epistles, too many for me to provide hyperlinks.

Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes:

Lord Jesus, You called St. Peter by the Sea of Galilee & St. Paul on the road to Damascus. Call me again & entrust Your sacred mission into my hands.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Solemnity of Ss. Peter & Paul
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter twelve, verses one thru eleven;
Psalm Thirty-four (R/. five), verses two & three, four & five, six & seven, & eight & nine;
The Second Letter to Timothy, chapter four, verses six, seven, eight, seventeen, & eighteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter sixteen, verses thirteen thru nineteen.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, in today’s Gospel Jesus declares that the gates of hell ("the netherworld") shall not prevail against his Church. And Jesus insists that this society, grounded in Peter’s confession, would constitute an army so powerful that not even the fortified capital of the dark kingdom itself could withstand it.

It is fascinating to me how often we construe this saying of Jesus in precisely the opposite direction, as though the Church is guaranteed safety against the onslaughts of hell. In point of fact, Jesus is suggesting a much more aggressive image: his Church will lay successful siege upon the kingdom of evil, knocking down its gate and breaching its walls.

And notice, too, how Jesus uses the future tense—"I will build my Church." Therefore he cannot be speaking simply of Peter personally but of all those who would participate in his charism throughout the centuries.

The integrity of this ekklesia will be guaranteed up and down the centuries—not through appeal to popular opinion (as instructive as that might be) nor through the ministrations of an institutional or theological elite (as necessary as those might be) but rather through the pope’s charismatic knowledge of who Jesus is.

Video reflection by Monsignor James Vlaun (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Curtis Mitch (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Daily Reflection.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Contentness Plateau, Day 8
The Second Book of Samuel, chapter two, verses eighteen thru twenty-one.

Commentary: The Battle of Gibeon (cont'd; 2 Samuel, 2:18-21).

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Neither success or failure must ever cause you to forget your vocation as servant. Allow the Lord to grant growth when & how He chooses. At the same time, imitate the Apostle Paul who knew how to suffer want & to live in abundance, ready for anything."
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, r. 1978-2005; feast: 22 October)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Prayer is an aspiration of the heart. It is a simple glance directed to Heaven. It is a cry of gratitude & love in the midst of trial as well as joy."
—St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast: 1 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Should I devote myself to struggle for the justice of tomorrow or even for the justice of today, the most needy people would die right in front of me because they lack a glass of milk… I do not condemn those who struggle for justice. I believe there are different options for the people of God. To me the most important thing is to serve the neediest people."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"In order to understand the knowledge of God, you must make a distinction between foreknowledge & predetermination. The two are not identical. God does foreknow everything, but He does not predetermine things independent of our will & our merits. Just suppose that you knew the stock market very well. Because of your superior knowledge of business conditions, you said that such & such a stock within six months would be selling ten points higher than it is now. Suppose six months later it actually sold ten points higher. Would you have predetermined & caused it to be ten points higher? Although you foreknew it, other influences were there besides your superior knowledge."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)