Happy Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul! So writes Diocese of Lansing seminarian, Charlie Gates, who is a student at Saint John Vianney College Seminary in Minnesota. I was blessed with the opportunity to live in Rome during the spring semester, and I frequently visited Saint Peter's Basilica and Saint Paul Outside the Walls where these great saints are buried.
As I visited each of these places, I was struck by the size of the basilicas. The magnitude of these churches is a fitting reminder of the profound influence that both of these saints had and have on the Church. They are the first “giants” of our Catholic faith. They preached about Christ who burned deep within their hearts. These men had immeasurable success spreading the gospel and bringing people to Christ.
Yet, they were also sinners in need of God's mercy. Saint Peter denied Christ and Saul persecuted Christians before his conversion. However, Christ extended his love and mercy, transforming them. Saints Peter and Paul give us powerful witnesses because they themselves were witnesses of Christ.
On this solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, may we be witnesses of Christ's love and ask God for the grace to surrender our weakness to Him so that we can spread the light of Christ everywhere we go. Let us remember Christ's words to Saint Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
