As sometimes happens in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, we hear of ‘heroes’ who are brave and perform mighty deeds of courage like the young David facing and defeating Goliath – against all odds. In the New Testament, there is Paul who is turned from a Christian persecutor to a Christian prosecutor arguing for the faith against the many false idols of the then-known world of the Mediterranean Sea. But, let’s face it. We can admire such people and even want to be like them, but most of us know that we aren’t very much like them.
So, you gotta love Peter. This month, the Apostle Peter is the main character in three of the Sunday gospel readings. He is a complex man. His faith in Jesus makes him bold as he ventures out to join Jesus on the stormy sea. Yet, as his natural instincts overtake him, fear overcomes his courage and he helps us to understand how our faith is simultaneously both strong and fragile. He has the gift of spiritual perception and theological insight as he identifies Jesus as the long-promised Messiah. Yet, he fails to grasp Jesus’ mission when he wants to prevent Christ’s impending suffering and death. Jesus declares that he will build his church, the vehicle for carrying on Christ’s ministry and carrying out Christ’s mission on the ‘rock’ Peter (which is what his name means in Greek). Yet, this rock will crumble as Peter denies he even knows him shortly before Jesus is tried and crucified.
Because of Peter, we can be assured that what scripture says is true: “that our faith is made strong in our weakness.” Our faith, in the end, is the gift of God, given to us at our Baptisms that God will continue to grow because of our strengths and in spite of our weaknesses. Thanks be to God!
Peace,
Pr. Mary Konopka
So, you gotta love Peter. This month, the Apostle Peter is the main character in three of the Sunday gospel readings. He is a complex man. His faith in Jesus makes him bold as he ventures out to join Jesus on the stormy sea. Yet, as his natural instincts overtake him, fear overcomes his courage and he helps us to understand how our faith is simultaneously both strong and fragile. He has the gift of spiritual perception and theological insight as he identifies Jesus as the long-promised Messiah. Yet, he fails to grasp Jesus’ mission when he wants to prevent Christ’s impending suffering and death. Jesus declares that he will build his church, the vehicle for carrying on Christ’s ministry and carrying out Christ’s mission on the ‘rock’ Peter (which is what his name means in Greek). Yet, this rock will crumble as Peter denies he even knows him shortly before Jesus is tried and crucified.
Because of Peter, we can be assured that what scripture says is true: “that our faith is made strong in our weakness.” Our faith, in the end, is the gift of God, given to us at our Baptisms that God will continue to grow because of our strengths and in spite of our weaknesses. Thanks be to God!
Peace,
Pr. Mary Konopka
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