[Herod] had [Peter] taken into custody and
put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended
to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter thus was being kept in
prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf. Acts 12:4-5
He
said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You
are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply,
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this
to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my Church. Matthew 16:16-18
Piety
I,
Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure
is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the
faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me. 2 Timothy 4:6-8A
Study
What is “this rock” of which Jesus
speaks?
Some say the rock is Peter. His name certainly means rock. However, what Jesus was asking for from the
disciples was a mark of their faith in him and that is what Peter delivered. Peter said that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of the living God. This rock was Peter’s
faith. That same faith was the standard
by which St. Paul looked back upon his life.
In the letter to Timothy, he measures his success by one standard only: “I
have kept the faith.”
Herod also was trying to energize support
among certain Jews by persecuting the new Christians. The notes to the New American Bible for today’s
first reading explain:
While Luke does not
assign a motive for [Herod’s] execution of James and his intended execution of
Peter, the broad background lies in Herod’s support of Pharisaic Judaism. The
Jewish Christians had lost the popularity they had had in Jerusalem, perhaps
because of suspicions against them traceable to the teaching of Stephen.
In the persons of Peter and Paul – and in
their confrontations with civil authorities -- we see once again that political
leaders really do not know what to do about inspiring church leaders. Sometimes, civil leaders take the view, “If
you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” Thus, some
historical records point out that Senator John F. Kennedy (as a candidate for President)
offered support to the civil rights movement led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. However, historians note that Kennedy’s
actions were of a wary ally who also was trying to energize votes of a critical
block without alienating others.[i]
Sometimes, when they do not join up as wary
allies, they just throw them in jail.
Nelson Mandela. Martin Luther
King. Dorothy Day. Jesus of
Nazareth. St. Peter in chains. St. Paul
in prison.
Action
Maybe on this feast of Peter and Paul, we
should realize not to place too much trust in the political leaders of any branch
of any government. Sometimes they may
rule or vote or speak in accordance with Catholic teaching. Other times they may not. Such leaders as these are not the rock which
Jesus asked Peter to build the Church. Rather,
Jesus asks Peter and us to build the Church upon the rock of faith, not
political expediency or calculations.
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