One of my greatest delights, as an African studying at the Graduate Theological Union, is the diversity and wide range of opinion found there. \u00a0You share the same lecture room with people whose beliefs are absolutely different from yours, yet you listen and relate to each other with respect and decorum. \u00a0Recently, in a class on World Religions, a Protestant colleague in the class remarked: \u201cThe greatest problem with you Catholics is that you have a pope, and the greatest problem with us Protestants is precisely because we do not have a pope.\u201d\u00a0 I found his remark to be very interesting.<\/p>\n
Today, as Catholics, we celebrate the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. \u00a0It is an ancient feast, going back to around the year 250 A.D. \u00a0The two are honored because they are the two apostles about whom we know the most. \u00a0They were the greatest influence on the Church at its beginning. \u00a0As different from each other as chalk is from cheese, Saints Peter and Paul were referred to as \u201cthe two pillars of the Church,\u201d \u201ctwo lanterns\u201d burning for Christ, illuminating the way to heaven.<\/p>\n
Few points to note:<\/p>\n
(1) A society cannot survive without structure, organization and leadership. \u00a0Today\u2019s feast of the apostles Peter and Paul, especially today\u2019s gospel, reminds us of the way Christ structured his Church with Peter as the head. \u00a0And this leadership is that of tending, taking care, shepherding, serving. \u00a0It is one of \u201cpouring out self\u201d for others, as St Paul echoes in our second reading. \u00a0Christians should not therefore be up in arms against leadership, for it is to be for the good of the entire body.<\/p>\n
(2) The one who serves God should put his trust in God, and not seek security in money or worldly powers. \u00a0The first reading tells us how God rescued Peter from prison because he trusted and served God. \u00a0The psalm that follows is a prayer of a person praising God for rescuing them from fear and danger. \u00a0We could easily imagine Peter praying this psalm as he left prison. \u00a0Money, power, authority and human power,\u2013 all these fail. \u00a0But God never fails the one who trusts in Him.<\/p>\n
(3) There is no one way of serving God. \u00a0Peter and Paul were different personalities: Peter was among the first disciples of Jesus, Paul was a later convert. \u00a0Peter preached mostly to fellow Jews; Paul went out to the Gentiles. \u00a0Paul wrote a lot; Peter was a better administrator. \u00a0But both served God to the best of their abilities. \u00a0I should be able to do my bit as a small priest from Africa; I must not be Pope. \u00a0You must not be a priest, but can be so pleasing in the eyes of God in your workplace. \u00a0And at the end of our lives, our song, like Peter and Paul, should be \u201cI have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fr. Gabriel Wankar<\/p>\n
Priest-in-Residence<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One of my greatest delights, as an African studying at the Graduate Theological Union, is the diversity and wide range of opinion found there. \u00a0You share the same lecture room with people whose beliefs are absolutely different from yours, yet you listen and relate to each other with respect and decorum. \u00a0Recently, in a class […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n