Wenezde, Jun 29, 2022
Solemnity for Saints Peter and Paul, wey be Apostles
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“And so I dey tell you, you be Peter, and na on top this rock I go build My Church, and di gates of di world of di dead no go fit overcome am.” Matthew 16:18
Throughout di ages, people don hate di Church, misunderstand am, tell lies against am, mock am, and even attack am. Even though sometimes na di personal faults of members of di Church dey cause di mockery and rebuke, most times people don persecute di Church and still dey persecute am because dem don give us di mission to proclaim di truth clearly, with compassion, firmness and authority, with di voice of Christ Himself. Na this truth dey liberate all people and set dem free to live together in unity as children of God.
E dey strange and e dey pain person say plenty people for this world no gree accept di Truth. Instead, plenty people dey grow for anger and bitterness as di Church dey carry out di mission wey God give am.
Wetin be this mission wey God give di Church? Na to teach clearly and with authority, to pour out God grace and mercy through di Sacraments, and to shepherd God people so that e go lead dem go Heaven. Na God give di Church this mission, and na God dey give di Church and im ministers di ability to carry am out with courage, boldness and faithfulness.
Di Solemnity of today na very fitting occasion to reflect on this holy mission. Saints Peter and Paul no just be two of di greatest examples of di Church mission; dem also be di actual foundation wey Christ establish this mission on top.
First, Jesus Himself talk to Peter for today Gospel say, “And so I dey tell you, you be Peter, and na on top this Rock I go build My Church, and di gates of di world of di dead no go fit overcome am. I go give you di keys to di Kingdom of Heaven. Anything wey you bind for earth go dey bound for Heaven; anything wey you loose for earth go dey loosed for Heaven.”
For this Gospel passage, dem give “di Keys to di Kingdom of Heaven” to di first pope of di Church. St. Peter, wey God entrust with di leadership of di Church for Earth, receive di authority to teach us everything wey we need to know so that we go reach Heaven. E clear from di earliest days of di Church say Peter pass these “Keys to di Kingdom,” this “ability to bind and loose with authority,” this gift from God wey dem dey call infallibility today, give di person wey succeed am. That one too pass am give di person wey succeed am, and e continue like that reach today.
Plenty people dey vex for di Church because e dey proclaim di truth of di Gospel wey dey set people free, clearly, with confidence and authority. This one dey happen especially for matters of how person suppose live and behave. Many times, when di Church proclaim these truths, people dey attack am and call am every kind of name to spoil im reputation.
Di main reason why this matter dey pain so much no really be say people dey attack di Church; Christ go always give us di grace wey we need to endure persecution. Di main reason why e dey pain so much na say, most times, na di people wey dey vex pass need to know di truth wey dey set person free pass. Everybody need di freedom wey dey come only through Christ Jesus, and di complete truth of di Gospel wey dem never change, wey He don already entrust to us for Scripture and wey He still dey make clear to us through Peter for di person of di Pope. On top of that, di Gospel no dey ever change; na only our understanding of this Gospel dey grow deeper and clearer. Thanks be to God for Peter and for all di people wey don succeed am, wey dey serve di Church for this very important role.
St. Paul, di other Apostle wey we dey honour today, no be person wey dem entrust di keys of Peter to. But Christ call am, and through im ordination, e receive strength to be Apostle to di Gentiles. With plenty courage, St. Paul travel throughout di Mediterranean area to carry di message go meet everybody wey e meet. For today Second Reading, St. Paul talk about im journeys say, “Di Lord stand by me and give me strength, so that through me dem go fit proclaim di message fully and all di Gentiles go fit hear” di Gospel. And even though e suffer, dem beat am, put am for prison, mock am, misunderstand am, and plenty people hate am, e still be instrument wey bring true freedom to plenty people. Plenty people respond to im words and example, and dem give their whole lives completely to Christ. Na through St. Paul efforts wey no dey tire plenty new Christian communities take start. When Paul face opposition from di world, e talk for today epistle say, “Dem rescue me from di lion mouth. Di Lord go rescue me from every evil threat and bring me safely enter Im heavenly kingdom.”
Saint Paul and Saint Peter both pay with their lives because dem remain faithful to di mission wey dem receive. Di First Reading talk about how dem put Peter for prison; di epistles show di hardships wey Paul face. For di end, both of dem become martyrs. To die as martyr no be bad thing if na because of di Gospel dem kill you.
Jesus talk for di Gospel say, “No fear di person wey fit tie your hand and leg; instead, fear di one wey fit throw you inside Gehenna.” And na only you yourself fit throw you inside Gehenna because of di choices wey you freely make. For di end, di only thing wey we need to fear na to turn away from di truth of di Gospel for wetin we talk and wetin we do.
We must proclaim di truth with love and compassion; but love no be true love, and compassion no be true compassion, if di truth about life of faith and morals no dey inside.
For dis feast of Saints Peter and Paul, make Christ give all of us, and di whole Church, di courage, love, and wisdom wey we need to continue to be di instruments wey go set di world free.
Lord, I thank You for di gift of Your Church and di Gospel wey e dey preach, wey dey set people free. Help me make I always remain faithful to di truths wey You dey proclaim through Your Church. And help me make I be instrument to carry dat truth reach everybody wey need am. Jesus, na You I trust.
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Saint of di Day – Saints Peter and Paul
Di main picture wey dey above: Saints Peter and Paul, from Wikimedia Commons
