The Holy, Glorious, All-Praiseworthy and Chief Apostles Peter and Paul
2 Corinthians 11:21-12:9; Matthew 16:13-19
All-Night Vigil Feast. A day when the faithful are highly encouraged to participate in the Divine Liturgy.
Read 2 Corinthians 11:21-12:9
There is a saying that I heard many years ago that remains fresh in my mind to this day: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). It reminds me that to be the best that I can be cannot be accomplished in solitude. I will always need at least another to help me become sharp, the best that I can be. I can excel at many things in the world. Like an athlete, I can hone my natural gifts and take them to new levels. As a Christian, among all my natural gifts and talents I can train and hone I must recognize the one most important—I am made in God’s image and likeness. As the Lord God is holy, so I must strive to be holy. The Second Vatican Council actually highlighted the universal call to holiness for all Christians (see Lumen Gentium). We are all to be saints. What else is there?
How does one become a saint? Some may think that is only through incredible and heroic ascetical acts that one can become a saint—fasting on bread and water for years, living in the desert with no contact with others, constant loathing of self, etc. While some of the saints have been called by the Lord to take on these practices (probably because they were needed), most saints whom we commemorate were people like you and me—the everyday Christian worshipper. What was the key to their transformation from a baptized sinner to a saint?
Some believe that saints were those who stopped sinning. Some of the greatest saints, two of which we commemorate today, were great sinners. Peter, the chief of the Apostles, denied our Lord three times, even after stating to our Lord that he never would. Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, the one who held the cloaks of those who stoned St. Stephen to death, had been one who persecuted Christians for years, and in persecuting Christians, persecuted Christ Jesus. Both Peter and Paul received the forgiveness of the Lord and became models for all of us of what it means to be holy. Great sinners to great saints. What is key to their transformation? St. Paul puts it succinctly when he writes: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).
Both Peter and Paul could boast of their personal connection to the Messiah, of their adventures, of their struggles and labours, of the misfortunes, of their strengths and of their sufferings. Indeed, for these two, the list is impressive. However, they came to understand that as great their achievements are, it was in their weaknesses that they found the Lord. Why is that? When we set our mind on all our experiences, good and bad, strengthening and suffering, we look to ourselves. When we look our weaknesses and realize that the Lord is still present, that He still loves, still is merciful, still desires His life to be our life, we tend to look away from ourselves and to the Lord. We realize then that even with our strengths, natural and trained, with all our sufferings and struggles, and all our adventures and experiences, they can only be such because the Lord sustains our lives.
Here’s the really cool thing. When we take our eyes off ourselves and place them on the Lord, and even boast of our weaknesses, it is then that the Lord can do His greatest wonders among us. His grace is sufficient to keep us humble so that His greatness can shine.
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. We need to help each other in sharpening one another, in our strengths and weaknesses, but mostly in the latter, and together the Lord will continue to show His greatness, His love, His mercy to the world. We are all to be saints. What else is there?