Luke Macnamara: Today we interrupt the rhythm of Ordinary Time to celebrate a great feast—the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Though every Sunday is a celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection, this solemnity takes precedence, reminding us of the two great pillars of the Church, whose lives and witness shaped our faith from the beginning.
Peter and Paul are remembered together from the earliest days of Christianity, even though they were never a missionary pair. In fact, the New Testament records only two meetings between them—both in Jerusalem, and over a span of 14 years. So why do we celebrate them together?
On the surface, they couldn’t be more different.
Peter—originally Simon—is a fisherman from the village of Bethsaida on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He’s impetuous, passionate, often the first to speak and act, and just as often the first to stumble. He tries to walk on water, only to sink. He vows to stay by Jesus’ side, only to deny him three times. Yet Jesus calls him anyway.
Paul—originally Saul—is from Tarsus, a cultured and significant city in the Roman Empire. He’s educated, well-off, a Roman citizen, and a devout Pharisee. He zealously persecutes the early Christians, even overseeing the stoning of Stephen. And yet, Jesus calls him too.
Two men, so different in background and temperament, are united by one thing: their encounter with the risen Christ.
Peter meets Jesus while casting his nets. Paul meets him on the road to Damascus, blinded by a light from heaven. Both undergo deep transformation. Both continue to encounter Jesus in their lives—in their mission, their suffering, and their witness.
Peter’s journey is marked by Jesus’ relentless love and mercy. When Peter fails, Jesus reaches out. After the Resurrection, Jesus doesn’t reject Peter but shares a meal, offers peace, and asks three times: “Do you love me?”—allowing Peter to affirm the love he once denied. Even Peter’s imprisonment becomes a sign of Easter, as an angel rescues him during Passover, echoing the Exodus and pointing to new life.
Paul’s journey, too, is shaped by the power of the Resurrection. Temporarily blinded, he comes to see more clearly than ever. His entire ministry echoes the life of Jesus: preaching, healing, suffering, rising again. Time after time, Paul is delivered—from prison, shipwreck, stoning. His life becomes a living testimony to the risen Christ at work in him.
So why do we celebrate Peter and Paul together?
Because despite their differences, they are united in what matters most: they have seen the Lord. They have experienced his mercy. They have been transformed by his love. And they have dedicated their lives to proclaiming that love, even to the point of death.
Today, we are invited to reflect on that same encounter.
Jesus once asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered from his heart. So did Paul. Now the question is ours.
Who do you say that Jesus is?
Look at your life. Reflect on where Christ has met you—in your weakness, in your strength, in your failures, in your growth. Only then can we, like Peter and Paul, give an answer not from a textbook, but from experience—an answer born of grace.