Homily for Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul: Full text
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| The statue of St Peter in St Peter's Basilica, vested in tripl tiara and cope for the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul. -OSS_ROM. |
(Vatican Radio) In his homily
for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Francisfocused
on the themes of “closing” and “opening” in the lives of the two patrons of
Rome.
The Church must avoid the
risk of closing in on itself out of persecution and fear, the Pope said. At the
same time, she must be able to see “the small openings through which God can
work.” Prayer, he said, “enables grace to open a way out from closure to
openness, from fear to courage, from sadness to joy. And we can add: from
division to unity.”
Read the full text of Pope
Francis’ prepared homily for the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul:
Homily of His Holiness
Pope Francis
Solemnity of Saints Peter
and Paul
29 June 2016
The word of God in today’s
liturgy presents a clear central contrast between closing andopening.
Together with this image we can consider the symbol of the keys that Jesus
promises to Simon Peter so that he can open the entrance to
the kingdom of heaven, and not close it before people, like
some of the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees whom Jesus reproached (cf. Mt 23:13).
The reading from the Acts of
the Apostles (12:1-11) shows us three examples of “closing”: Peter
is cast into prison; the community gathers behind closed doors in prayer; and –
in the continuation of our reading – Peter knocks at the closed door of the
house of Mary, the mother of John called Mark, after being set free.
In these three examples of
“closing”, prayer appears as the main way out.
It is a way out for the community, which risks closing in on itself out of
persecution and fear. It is a way out for Peter who, at the very
beginning of the mission given him by the Lord, is cast into prison by Herod
and risks execution. While Peter was in prison, “the church prayed
fervently to God for him” (Acts 12:5). The Lord responds to
that prayer and sends his angel to liberate Peter, “rescuing him from the hand
of Herod” (cf. v. 11). Prayer, as humble entrustment to God and his holy
will, is always the way out of our becoming “closed”, as individuals and as a
community.
Paul too, writing to Timothy, speaks of his experience of
liberation, of finding a way out of his own impending execution. He tells
us that the Lord stood by him and gave him strength to carry out the work of
evangelizing the nations (cf. 2 Tim 4:17). But Paul
speaks too of a much greater “opening”, towards an infinitely more vast
horizon. It is the horizon of eternal life, which awaits him at the end
of his earthly “race”. We can see the whole life of the Apostle in terms
of “going out” in service to the Gospel. Paul’s life was
utterly projected forward, in bringing Christ to those who did not know him,
and then in rushing, as it were, into Christ’s arms, to be “saved for his
heavenly kingdom” (v. 18).
Let us return to Peter.
The Gospel account (Mt 16:13-19) of his confession of faith and the
mission entrusted to him by Jesus shows us that the life of Simon, the
fishermen of Galilee – like the life of each of us – opens, opens
up fully, when it receives from God the Father the grace of faith. Simon
sets out on the journey – a long and difficult journey – that will lead him to go
out of himself, leaving all his human supports behind, especially his
pride tinged with courage and generous selflessness. In this, his process
of liberation, theprayer of Jesus is decisive: “I have prayed for
you [Simon], that your own faith may not fail” (Lk 22:32).
Likewise decisive is the compassionate gaze of the Lord after
Peter had denied him three times: a gaze that pierces the heart and brings
tears of repentance (cf. Lk 22:61-62). At that moment,
Simon Peter was set free from the prison of his selfish pride and fear,
and overcame the temptation of closing his heart to Jesus’s call to follow him
along the way of the cross.
I mentioned that, in the
continuation of the passage from the Acts of the Apostles, there is a detail
worthy of consideration (cf. 12:12-17). When Peter finds himself
miraculously freed from Herod’s prison, he goes to the home of the mother of
John called Mark. He knocks on the closed door and a servant by the name
of Rhoda comes. Recognizing Peter’s voice, in disbelief and joy, instead
of opening the door, she runs to tell her mistress. The account, which
can seem comical, makes us perceive the climate of fear that led the Christian
community to stay behind closed doors, but also closed to God’s
surprises. This detail speaks to us of a constant temptation for the
Church, that of closing in on herself in the face of
danger. But we also see the small openings through which God can
work. Saint Luke tells us that in that house “many had gathered and were praying”
(v. 12). Prayer enables grace to open a way out from closure to openness,
from fear to courage, from sadness to joy. And we can add: from
division to unity. Yes, we say this today with confidence, together
with our brothers from the Delegation sent by the beloved Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew to take part in the celebration of the Holy Patrons of Rome.
Today is also a celebration of communion for the whole Church, as seen by the
presence of the metropolitan archbishops who have come for the blessing of the
pallia, which they will receive from my representatives in their respective
sees.
May Saints Peter and Paul
intercede for us, so that we can joyfully advance on this journey, experience
the liberating action of God, and bear witness to it before the world.
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