June 29, 2013, Saints Peter and Paul

Written by Fr. Fitz Friday, 28 June 2013 08:34

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Imagine if Jesus went walking along the shore in Lousiana, and several cajuns fishermen were there, mending their nets.  Jesus looks at them and says, Follow me! And they do. That's the way it was with Peter, and that day that had begun like just an ordinary fishing day became like no other!

And what if in our day Jesus appeared to a terrorist like the Boston bombers and asked, "why are you persecuting me?" That is the way it was with Saul who was a terrorist in his day on the road to Damascus to deal havoc to the Christians there.

Paul's conversion journey would eventually take him to Rome. Today his bones rest beneath the altar of the Church of St. Paul outside the Walls.

Peter's amazing journey woul also lead to Rome. There in 1950 workmen excavating beneath the high altar, burst into a first century Roman road just below. There they discovered an ancient tomb with grafiti indicating they were venerating the tomb of Peter the Apostle. Peter and Paul are the yang and yang of the apostles: Peter a small businessman: fisherman, and Paul, highly educated Pharisee, and citizen of Rome.

Yet each of them were pliable to amazing grace and great change in their lives....Breakfast Question: Are you pliable to change? Personal Reflection: Are you more like Peter...or Paul?