By Deanna Bartalini

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” ~ 2 Timothy 4:18

Upside Down Yet Perfect Sense

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. When I think of what we can take away from these two great saints it is that believing in Jesus can turn your life upside down while making perfect sense and humility is needed to become a saint.

A Look Back

If you look at Peter in scripture, you see an ordinary man, whom Jesus chose for an extraordinary work. He went from being a simple fisherman to the first pope of our Church. His story with Jesus shows great faith and great doubt. He tells Jesus he will walk on water if Jesus calls him and then sinks out of fear. He says his faith will never be shaken at the Last Supper and then denies Jesus.

In today’s Gospel though, there is no doubt or fear; there is a strong statement of faith, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus confers upon him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and declares Peter the rock upon which he will build his Church.

Before Paul’s conversion, he was systematically planning for the eradication of all those who believed in Jesus. One encounter, on the road to Damascus, changed him forever. His life now belonged to Christ, and he worked tirelessly to bring the good news of salvation to as many places as he could go.

Two Types of Conversions

Peter and Paul were called in different ways and for different reasons. Peter had the gift of spending years with Jesus, watching him, and learning from him. Paul conversion was dramatic but no less life changing. Each gave the Church what was needed at that time, and they continue to give us guidance today through their letters.

The type of conversion is not what makes us a better follower of Christ. It is how closely we follow him, giving our lives over to him so we become the person God created us to be. There is one virtue that is necessary for this. Not the only one, but I think the first one.

The virtue needed is humility. You see it in Peter when he begs forgiveness after denying Jesus. In Paul when he says that he will be rescued by Jesus when he is imprisoned. Both of these men knew that their strength and courage came from God, not their own minds or bodies. They believed, they trusted, and they persevered by calling on the name of Jesus. That is humility.

Our Call is the Same

We are all called to be saints. We may never have our own feast day or be a patron saint, but we hope to one day be in heaven.
To be a saint is to want to be with God. And to be with him, humility is necessary. It says we need him for everything. When we can embrace humility, the other virtues follow.

Prayer

Father God, I come before You and ask for the grace of humility. Help me to remember that I need You before I try to do everything without you.

Call to Action

As you begin a new week, pray about how God wants you to spend your time. What work needs to be done, how will you serve your family, and when will you pray?

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