Sunday Sermon - 29 June 2025 -13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
Solemnity
of the Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul.
Mass Readings:
Acts 12:1-11 Ps 34 2 Tim 4:6-8. 17-18 Mt 16:13-19
Key Verse to Meditate:
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My
church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it (Mt 16:18).
My dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
On this Thirteenth
Sunday in Ordinary Time, Holy Mother Church celebrates the Solemnity of
Saints Peter and Paul, two towering pillars upon which the foundation of
our faith rests. We owe much of our Christian heritage to these great Apostles,
who carried the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth. Their passionate
love for Jesus Christ led them to offer their very lives in sacrifice for the
sake of the Gospel. Saints Peter and Paul are rightly honored as the patron
saints of Rome.
Peter was called by Christ
to be the rock upon which the Church would be built—the guardian of the faith
and the guarantor of the integrity of the message Christ entrusted to the
apostles and the world. Humanly speaking, this role might not have seemed suitable
for a simple, uneducated fisherman from Galilee. Yet, the Lord does not judge
by human standards—He sees the heart, the potential, and the journey of each
person. He chose Peter for his deep faith and capacity for love.
Paul, on the other hand,
was chosen as a vessel of divine grace to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. His
mission was to establish the Church beyond the borders of Israel, taking the
message of salvation to the nations. As we reflect on the exemplary lives of
Saints Peter and Paul, let us pray for the grace to remain faithful to the
unique call each of us has received, just as they did.
The First Reading
The first reading, taken
from the Acts of the Apostles, recounts the arrest of Peter by King Herod and
his miraculous deliverance from prison by an angel of the Lord. We are also
told that Herod had earlier put James, the brother of John, to death with the
sword (Acts 12:2). Herod was a cruel and self-serving ruler, eager to maintain
power by pleasing the Jewish authorities under his governance.
This passage beautifully
reveals the deep bond between Peter and the early Christian community: "While
Peter was kept in prison, the Church prayed fervently to God for him"
(Acts 12:5). The Church stormed the gates of heaven with intercessory prayer
for its first Pope, chosen and commissioned by Christ Himself. Would not the
Lord respond to such fervent pleas when His shepherd is taken from the flock?
Peter, upon realizing his deliverance, gives thanks to God, saying: “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting” (Acts 12:11). The Lord’s protection over His chosen servants is a testament to His abiding presence and faithfulness.
The Second Reading
In the second reading, from
the Second Letter to Timothy, we hear Paul’s personal testimony of God’s
unwavering support throughout his ministry: “But the Lord stood by me and
gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and
all the Gentiles might hear it… The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack
and save me for His heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim 4:17–18).
Throughout the Acts of the
Apostles, we find multiple instances of divine reassurance to Paul in moments
of danger and discouragement. For example, “That night the Lord stood near
him and said, ‘Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in
Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome’” (Acts 23:11; see also
Acts 18:9–10; Acts 26:17–18).
Paul knew that his journey
was drawing to a close, and yet he looked back with no regret, only gratitude
and conviction: “As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and
the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:6–7).
His life was a constant
offering, poured out in love for Christ and for the proclamation of the Gospel.
The Acts tell us how fiercely he was persecuted, how bravely he defended the
resurrection of Christ, and how passionately he exhorted the leaders of the
Church: “Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of God that He
obtained with the blood of His own Son” (Acts 20:28).
The Gospel Reading
The Gospel reading for the
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is taken from Matthew 16:13-19 (cf. Mk 8:27-30),
which recounts Peter’s public confession of Jesus as the Christ and Jesus’
powerful response to that confession. In this pivotal passage, Jesus speaks
three times-in verses 13, 15, and 17-19. Peter’s declaration of faith echoes
the Davidic Messianism of 2 Samuel 7:4-16 and 1 Chronicles 17:3-15.
Peter’s Confession at Caesarea Philippi
I recall visiting the very
place of Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi during an archaeological study
of the Holy Land-a part of the licentiate program in Sacred Scripture at the
Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. Caesarea Philippi, a Gentile town, lies
on a terrace at the southern foot of Mount Hermon, more than twenty miles north
of the Sea of Galilee. Among its notable features is a cave dedicated to the
pagan god Pan and the nymphs. In 20 BC, Augustus gifted the site to Herod the
Great, who built a temple there in honor of Caesar Augustus. Later, Herod’s son
Philip expanded the town and named it Caesarea Philippi.
In Jewish tradition, the
worship of idols and men was deemed satanic, and thus the cave came to
symbolize the very entrance to the underworld—to hell. It was believed that one
day, the abyss would quake and swallow the blasphemous temple. In this dark and
ominous location, Jesus—the Son of the living God, as confessed by Simon—speaks
of a new stone upon which He would build His Church. No infernal force will
ever prevail against it. To Simon, Jesus entrusts the keys, the authority to
bind and loose—signifying the teaching authority and governance of the Church.
Simon becomes the visible foundation, the rock ensuring the Church’s unity,
order, and strength. The Church cannot be overcome—not by Satan, not by
death—because Christ Himself lives and acts within her. Every Pope is the Peter
of his time.
Who Do You Say That I Am?
In Matthew 16:13–19, we find three essential elements:
- Jesus
is confessed as both Christ and Son of God (v.16).
- Jesus
promises to build His Church on the rock of Peter (v.18).
- Jesus
gives Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven (v.19).
Jesus asks His apostles a
profound and personal question: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
(Mt 16:13). The disciples respond by listing various opinions: some say John
the Baptist, others Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. But then Jesus
asks directly, “But who do you say that I am?” (v.15). Peter, speaking
on behalf of the apostles, responds with a profound profession of faith: “You
are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16; cf. Jn 6:69).
"Flesh and Blood Has Not Revealed This to You"
Rather than merely praising
Peter for giving the "right answer," Jesus highlights the divine
origin of Peter’s insight: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh
and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven” (Mt
16:17). Similarly, in John’s Gospel, Jesus says: “No one can come to me
unless it is granted by the Father” (Jn 6:65), and “The flesh is
useless” (Jn 6:63).
The Keys of the Kingdom
After His resurrection,
Jesus would again strengthen Peter, forgiving him and commissioning him as the
shepherd of the Christian flock (Jn 21:15–17). The keys given to Peter signify
a share in Christ’s ministry of reconciliation: “Whatever you bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven” (Mt 16:19). John’s Gospel echoes this: “If you forgive the sins
of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained”
(Jn 20:23).
Paul’s Understanding of Peter
In Galatians, Paul reflects
on his own divine calling. He affirms that the Gospel he preaches was revealed
not by man but by Jesus Christ Himself (Gal 1:12, 16). Paul distinguishes
between his mission to the Gentiles and Peter’s mission to the Jews: “They
saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as
Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised” (Gal 2:7–8).
Only in Galatians 2:9 does Paul refer to Cephas as “Peter,” a title rooted in
this very Gospel passage (Mt 16:17-19).
Saul Became Paul
Similarly, Paul underwent a radical transformation after encountering Christ. Once a persecutor of Christians, he was confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). This moment shattered his religious pride and self-righteousness. Saul became Paul, which means “little one.” Christ humbled him not just physically but spiritually, reshaping his life and mission.
God’s Provocations and Our Prophetic Response
Prophecy emerges when we
allow ourselves to be provoked by God—not when we cling to comfort or control.
When the Gospel disrupts our certainties, it gives birth to prophecy. Only
those who are open to God's surprises become true prophets. Peter and Paul,
both deeply flawed and wounded, became prophets by their willingness to be
transformed by Christ.
Peter was the first to
proclaim Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). Paul,
nearing the end of his journey, declared, “I have fought the good fight, I
have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is reserved for me the
crown of righteousness” (2 Tim 4:7-8). These apostles, though weak and
imperfect, were made great through grace and daily fidelity.
Points for Personal Reflection
Today’s Gospel presents us
with a life-changing dialogue. Jesus asks Peter—and us—“Who do you say that
I am?” (Mt 16:15). This question is not about public opinion but about
personal conviction and commitment. Peter’s response was a turning point, and
Jesus called him “blessed”—literally, happy.
So what is the secret to
true happiness? It lies in recognizing and following Jesus as the living
God-not as a distant idea or a statue, but as the rock of our lives. Simon
became Peter—the rock—because of this living faith.
Reflect on these questions
- What is my personal response to Jesus’
question: “Who do you say that I am?”
- Do I love Christ above all else and am I
willing to sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel?
- What is my personal confession of Jesus, as
bold and loving as that of St. Peter?
As
we honor Saints Peter and Paul today, may their courage inspire us, their faith
strengthen us, and their love for Christ set our hearts ablaze. Let us strive,
like them, to live and proclaim the Gospel with unwavering fidelity and joy.
To Download Text - Click Here
