OXYGEN

28 Jun – Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles (Vigil Mass)

Peter (c.1–64) was a professional fisherman. He was the brother of St. Andrew the Apostle, the man who led him to Christ. Given the name Simon, he was renamed “Peter” (rock) by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. He later became a bishop and was the first pope. He was also a miracle worker.

Paul (c.3–c.65) was a Jewish Talmudic student and a Pharisee. He was a tent-maker by trade. Saul the Jew hated and persecuted the Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of St. Stephen the Martyr. On his way to Damascus, Syria, to arrest another group of faithful, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light, and given the message that in persecuting him, causing his conversion to Christianity.

He was baptized, changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona, and began travelling, preaching, and teaching. His letters to the churches he help found form a large percentage of the New Testament. He knew and worked with many of the earliest saints and Fathers of the Church. He died a martyr for the faith.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 3:1-10

Once, when peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth hour, it happened that there was a man being carried past. He was a cripple from birth; and they used to put him down every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from the people going in. When this man say Peter and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them. Both Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us.’ He turned to them expectantly, hoping to get something from them, but Peter said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!’ Peter then took him by the hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles became firm, he jumped up, stood, and began to walk, and he went with them into the Temple, walking and jumping and praising God. Everyone could see him walking and praising God, and they recognised him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful gate of the Temple. They were all astonished and unable to explain what had happened to him.
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Galatians 1:11-20

The Good news I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for the traditions of my ancestors.

Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal this Son to me, so that I might preach the Good news about him to the pagans. I did not stop to discuss this with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me, but I went off to Arabia at once and later went straight back from there to Damascus. Even when after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days, I did not see any of the other apostles; I only saw James, the brother of the Lord, and I swear before God that what I have just written in the literal truth.
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John 21:15-19

Jesus showed himself to his disciples, and after they had eaten he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

‘I tell you most solemnly,
when you were young
you put on your own belt
and walked where you liked;
but when you grow old
you will stretch out your hands,
and somebody else will put a belt round you
and take you where you would rather not go.’

In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’
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Their word goes forth through all the earth. (from the Responsorial Psalm)

I once said to a friend who has been involved in apologetics (a branch of Christianity that focuses on defence of the faith) that more people are converted to Christianity through personal testimonies than through intellectual arguments and philosophical discussions. This does not mean that apologetics is any less important. I read in a book that said that there are three basic stages of evangelization and catechetics:

1.    The original proclamation of the gospel
2.    Education in the faith “aroused” by that proclamation
3.    Becoming proclaimers ourselves through witnessing to the gospel

Personal testimonies and preaching the gospel, as well as apolegetics and catechism are two different stages catering to different audiences – the unconverted and the converted.

Today we celebrate the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, two apostles that existed at the same time, preaching the same faith, but with entirely opposite methods and audiences. Peter was an apostle mainly to the Jews, to people who already believed in God and to whom God has revealed Jesus Christ, His only Son. Peter was the rock, the foundation on whom Jesus built His Church.

Paul, on the other hand, was Apostle to the Gentiles, people who did not believe in God, people who were not ‘chosen’ by God to receive Jesus Christ as one of their own. But yet, through Paul, God made known the presence of His Son Jesus Christ.

Both focused first on proclaiming the Gospel, then educating the converted in the faith, forming them to become proclaimers of the Gospel through their witness. The idea behind this is simply balance. Just as St. Paul was there to balance St. Peter (and vice versa), so too does the Church today encompass the many different types of Christians – conservative and liberal, traditional and progressive, etc.

If we can come to see that we are all parts of the same Body of Christ, all serving the same Head, we can do much more together instead of fighting among ourselves.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to accept my fellow Christians who are different from me. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the diversity of the Christian people.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 29 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; Matthew 16:13-19; Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles
Tue, 30 Jun – Genesis 19:15-29; Matthew 8:23-27; Memorial for the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
Wed, 01 Jul – Genesis 21:5.8-20; Matthew 8:28-34
Thu, 02 Jul – Genesis 22:1-19; Matthew 9:1-8
Fri, 03 Jul – Ephesians 2:19-22; John 20:24-29; Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
Sat, 04 Jul – Genesis 27:1-5.15-29; Matthew 9:14-17; Memorial for St Elizabeth of Portugal
Sun, 05 Jul – Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6; Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time