A Chosen Instrument
There are two figures in Christianity who were the pillars of its early flourishing. St. Peter provided a foundational structure and an unmoving authority to which all Christians could go and find the divinely inspired Truth. Without Peter, the individual churches would be more likely to evolve into their own independent communities with their own evolved beliefs. However, there were so many individual communities and churches throughout the world because of the work of St. Paul, who traveled constantly to spread the Gospel effectively. Paul spread the Word while Peter affirmed the Word. Through these two men, the Church grew but was still able to remain consistent and unified. They both met their deaths in the city of Rome under the Emperor Nero.
Today’s first reading from Acts marks the transition in Luke’s story of the early Church from a focus on the community led by Peter to the evangelization efforts of Paul. These two men are quite different on the surface, but share vital similarities: Although Peter was a local fisherman from Galilee and Paul was a well-trained Pharisee based in Jerusalem, the two of them were active in their Jewish culture. Although Peter was a follower of Christ early on and Paul was once a persecutor of the Christians, both were called to leave their former lives for the sake of Christ. Although Peter was a rather stationary authority figure within the early Church and Paul was a traveling evangelist, both were representative of the two aspects of Christian life: obedience to authority and a call to evangelization. Most importantly, they were both chosen instruments of Christ to establish his Church throughout the world. Christianity would look vastly different and remarkably incomplete without these two men. If Paul’s work was never done, Christianity would be insular, small, and unchecked. Paul’s evangelization enabled the gentile world to come to know Christ and to be open to his message, and Paul was also active in correcting and maintaining correspondence with the individual communities he founded. But without Peter, there would be no singular authority and no final voice on matters pertaining to theology. Peter was authentically chosen by Christ to lead his Church, so his authority was always guided and influenced by the Holy Spirit. Without it, the Church would have crumbled from the disagreements and heresy that have consistently arisen in our history.
Peter and Paul were uniquely chosen instruments of Christ. But it is imperative that we look at their stories and see ourselves in them. Peter was a faithful follower and never needed convincing, but he did need motivation from Christ to reach his full potential. Paul actively rejected Christ and his Church, but experienced metanoia (a complete conversion of the heart) which led to him being a crucial voice for Christ. As Christians, we come from different backgrounds and upbringings. Some of us were raised in the faith, and some of us are converts. But as Catholics, we must understand that we are all chosen instruments of Christ. By being obedient to our authority and assuming the responsibility of evangelization, we can model ourselves after both Peter and Paul. As these two great men teach us, our pasts will not define us if our presents and our futures are oriented towards doing the work of Christ as his instruments.
Today's Readings:
