Saints Peter and Paul, two well-known apostles and leaders of the early Church that shared the Gospel despite the persecutions that they both faced. Imprisonment, beaten, and both suffered martyrdom, these didn’t stop Peter and Paul from sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
St. Peter: The First Pope
St. Peter, who was originally known as Simon of Cephas, was a fisherman with his brother St. Andrew. They had their lives changed when Christ called to them from the shore and said to them, “Follow me.” Jesus also said to them in the Gospel of Mark, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Mk. 1:17)”
From accepting Christ’s call, Peter would grow in being the leader of the Twelve Apostles while following Christ during his earthly ministry. Despite his leadership, Peter had his moment of failure when he denied Christ three times. Even after this failure, the resurrected Christ still entrusted Peter to “feed his lambs and tend his sheep. (Jn 21:15-17)”
After Christ’s Ascension and the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, Peter was filled with the spirit of courage, preaching to thousands of people the Good News of Jesus Christ. How amazing is it to see a man who was a mere fisherman, be appointed the first Pope of the Church.
St. Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles
Before he was a follower of Christ, Paul (originally known as Saul) was a Jewish zealot and a persecutor of the early Christians. “Saul, meanwhile, was trying to destroy the church; entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment. (Acts 8:3)” Saul was a man who was determined to preserve the mosaic law and wipe out the Christians. Yet Christ had other plans.
On his way to Damascus, Saul experienced a strong vision that led him to his conversion. From this, he preached the Gospel throughout all of Rome and in various parts of Asia. He also wrote many letters to various Churches that offered guidance on the proper way of Christian living. His letters make up almost half of the New Testament Canon. Despite the various trials and persecutions that he faced, St. Paul kept his hope and joy in Christ, knowing that nothing on this earth could take away the heavenly reward that Christ has promised us.
Reflection
How amazing is it to look back on these two saints and see their lives radically changed for Christ? With Peter, who was a mere fisherman, became the first pope. With Paul, a radical zealot, who then became an apostle and preacher to the Gentiles. Saint Peter and Saint Paul are two models of the faith that we can look to, seeing how they had left their old lives behind and embraced the call of Christ, spreading the Gospel to all nations.
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