13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Solemnity of SS Peter & Paul
My dear friends in Christ, before we ever look at the dusty roads of Caesarea Philippi, let us look into the mirrors of our own souls by asking ourselves the same disruptive, uncomfortable, and monumental question: Who do you say that Jesus is? I am not asking what you have read in theology books, what you have seen in the media, or what your parents taught you—NO—but to you as a person and as a Christian, who is Jesus to you?
Notice the response of the crowd. It is a flurry of rumors, a collection of opinions. "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah." In other words, the world looked at Jesus and saw a ghost from the past, a political reformer, or a tragic poet of social justice. They saw a great man, but they missed the God-Man.
Then, the Divine Master cuts through the gossip. He turns His gaze directly upon them—and upon you and me today—and asks the terrifying, personal question: "But who do you say that I am?"
You see, it is easy to hide behind the opinions of others. It is easy to say what the culture thinks about religion, what the university says about morality, or what the media says about the Church. But Jesus demands a personal verdict.
And then, Simon Peter steps forward. Not because he was the smartest or the strongest—we know he was flawed, impulsive, and weak—but he became the megaphone of the Holy Spirit. He looks into the eyes of a penniless, traveling Galilean carpenter and says: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
HOW DO WE LIVE OUT THAT CONFESSION?
But how do we live out this confession in a world that hates the truth? For that, we look to the co-pillar of Rome, the great Apostle Paul, writing from the dark, damp depths of the Mamertine Prison.
Paul is old. He is cold. The executioner’s blade is virtually gleaming in the distance. Yet, there is no whimpering, no regret, no apology. He writes to young Timothy, and his words ring out like a trumpet blast across the ages:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
Look at those three statements as we dissect them one by one:
"I have fought the good fight." Notice he doesn't say "I won every battle." He says, "I fought." The Christian life is a battlefield, not a playground. The fight is not against our neighbors, but against the selfishness, pride, and lust within our own hearts.
"I have finished the race." A race is not judged by how beautifully you start, but by how you cross the finish line. Peter stumbled; Paul persecuted the Church. But both of them finished.
"I have kept the faith." In a world that compromises, Paul held fast to the truth.
And what is his conclusion? "From now on, the crown of righteousness awaits me." Paul was not looking at the Roman sword; he was looking at the heavenly crown. He knew that the temporary sufferings of this present time are nothing compared to the glory that is to be revealed.
Two Men, One Cross
My friends, Peter and Paul were entirely different. Peter was a simple fisherman; Paul was a brilliant intellectual. Peter ministered to the Jews; Paul broke boundaries for the Gentiles. They even argued at Antioch!
But what united them was greater than what divided them: a fierce, uncompromising love for Jesus Christ. Both poured out their blood in Rome—Peter on an inverted cross, Paul under the sword.
Today, Christ wants us to say those words with Paul too; to answer the question of who He is just as Peter answered. It is unfortunate that the world today has quit the race even before the finish line was ever in sight. Many Christians began well in the morning but could not finish. Others want the prize without the race. The cross became heavy, their co-workers discouraged them, and the world whispered its seductive words: "Why run so hard? Slow down, enjoy yourself."
My dear brothers and sisters, the race is too demanding. Some quit for pleasure, others quit for fame, for power, and much more. The world has quit the race—will you too quit? Only those whose garments are white can say those words of St. Paul. The choice is yours today to join the race or leave the line.
Remember, God loves you.
Fr. Emmanuel Igwe, HFFBY