Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
June 30, 2025
Readings:
Ezekiel 34:11–16
Psalm 87
2 Timothy 4:1–8
John 21:15–19
Ezekiel 2:1–7 (Daily Office)
Acts 11:1–18 (Daily Office)
Isaiah 49:1–6 (Daily Office)
Galatians 2:1–9 (Daily Office)
Psalm 97, Psalm 138 (Daily Office)
Today the Church commemorates Saints Peter and Paul, two of the most prominent figures in early Christianity. They were not alike. Peter was a fisherman from Galilee who followed Jesus from the beginning. His leadership was shaped by his closeness to Christ. His impulsive nature also played a role. His deep love often showed through failure. Paul, on the other hand, was a scholar and Roman citizen. He once persecuted Christians but experienced a profound transformation that redirected the course of his life. The differences between them created tension, and they sometimes disagreed strongly. Even so, the Church remembers them together because they gave their lives for the Gospel and remained faithful in their own ways.
What they shared was a willingness to let their lives be changed by the message they preached. Peter had to confront his own expectations about who belonged in the community of faith. Paul had to learn how to lead with grace rather than zeal alone. Neither man stayed where he started. Their faith grew through conflict, conversation, and trust in God’s work among people who didn’t fit their assumptions. The early Church was far from perfect, but it endured because of people like Peter and Paul, who allowed God’s call to lead them beyond their comfort.
The Gospel reading from John tells the story of Peter’s restoration. After denying Jesus three times, Peter hears the risen Christ ask, “Do you love me?” With each answer, Jesus responds with the same command: “Feed my sheep.” This is not a lofty theological directive. It is a practical, relational one. Peter is asked to express his love for Christ by caring for others. Christian leadership is defined here not by status or authority but by tenderness and responsibility. The Church is still called to this care, especially when the world is marked by division and distrust.
It is worth noting that Jesus gives this commission to someone who had failed. Peter’s denial was public and painful. Yet Jesus speaks to him with trust, offering a new beginning. This grace unsettles our instincts. We are often quicker to remember faults than to restore dignity. But Christ models a different way, inviting Peter to start again with love at the center. This is the foundation of Christian ministry: not flawless performance, but the willingness to return, to respond, and to serve.
Later, in the Book of Acts, Peter has a vision that shakes his understanding of purity and belonging. He sees animals once considered unclean and is told to eat. At first, he resists. But as the vision unfolds, it becomes clear that it is about more than food. Peter is being prepared to visit the home of a Gentile and to recognize that God’s Spirit is at work in unfamiliar places. This experience becomes a turning point in the Church’s mission. Peter learns that God’s grace is wider than he imagined, and his obedience allows others to be drawn into the life of faith.
Paul’s story is also shaped by perseverance. In his letter to Timothy, he writes as someone nearing the end of his journey. He reflects on the struggles he has faced and the endurance it has taken to stay faithful. These words do not come from a place of pride but from a deep awareness of the cost of discipleship. Paul had faced imprisonment, rejection, and hardship. Still, he held fast to the call he received. His words speak honestly about what it means to live a life shaped by the Gospel, not a life of ease, but one grounded in trust.
What makes Paul’s transformation especially powerful is how unlikely it seemed. He had once devoted himself to persecuting the early Church, acting out of a sense of duty and certainty. Someone with that background might have become more entrenched over time, convinced that strict boundaries were the only way to preserve the faith. But Paul’s encounter with Christ disrupted that path entirely. His convictions didn’t disappear, but they were changed. He came to see that God was already at work among people he had once dismissed. Paul became one of the strongest advocates for welcome, not because he set out to become more inclusive, but because grace opened his eyes to the wideness of God’s love. His story gives us reason to hope. If someone so convinced of his own righteousness is transformed by mercy, then hearts that seem closed today are not as unmovable as they appear.
The readings from Ezekiel and Isaiah add depth to the picture. God is portrayed as a shepherd who searches for the lost, binds up the wounded, and restores those who have been harmed. At the same time, this shepherd brings justice to those who have used power for their own gain. Divine love is not vague kindness; it involves correction, truth-telling, and protection for those most at risk. In Isaiah, the servant is called to restore the people of Israel and also to become a light to the nations, a vision that extends God’s care far beyond national or cultural boundaries. This outward call is fulfilled in Jesus, who lived among the poor, called out hypocrisy, healed the sick, and proclaimed good news to the forgotten. God sent Christ for this very purpose: to gather the scattered, to reconcile what was divided, and to reveal that justice and mercy belong together in the reign of God.
These themes are echoed again in Paul’s writing to the Galatians. He recounts how he stood firm against pressure to exclude those who had not followed traditional practices. He defended the freedom that comes through Christ, even when it meant challenging other leaders. The early Church was learning how to live in this new reality, and Paul was willing to take risks to ensure that the Gospel remained accessible to all.
Peter and Paul remind us that the Church is called to something deeper than control or uniformity. Their lives show how faithfulness involves listening, learning, and being changed by the Spirit’s movement. The Gospel they preached opened doors rather than closing them. They struggled with how to live that out, but they stayed engaged. In their persistence, we see a pattern for our own discipleship—a commitment to walk with others, even when the way is uncertain.
This feast calls us to remember Peter and Paul, but more than that, it calls us to continue in the work they began. They dedicated their lives to proclaiming a Gospel that reaches across divisions, heals what is broken, and gathers in those left out. That Gospel still speaks today. It urges us to pay attention to the people around us who are hurting or excluded. It calls us to stay present even when the truth is uncomfortable or costly. And it invites us to shape our lives around acts of justice and compassion. If grace could reshape someone like Paul, then grace is still at work in ways we cannot predict. That truth allows us to keep going, even when we feel tired or unsure. Like Peter and Paul, we are being asked to listen for the Spirit, to follow Christ wherever he leads, and to believe that the Church is still becoming the community God intends it to be.
Note: The image attached to this post was generated using AI.
Reflection Questions
- Where is God inviting me to expand my understanding of who belongs in the community of faith?
- How do I respond to failure—both in myself and in others—and what would restoration look like in those moments?
- What does faithful endurance mean in my current circumstances, and what helps me stay grounded in my calling?
Under the Fig Tree 