From the founding of the Church, when our Lord chose Simon Peter to lead the twelve Apostles, it has been abundantly clear that God chooses those whom the world considers small and weak to shame the mighty and bring His salvation to the world (I Cor. 1:27). This is evident from the life of the man He chose to be His first vicar, St. Peter.
St. Peter was the first to give witness to the workings of Divine Providence among the members of His Church. Overconfident yet easily intimidated, weak, impetuous, and highly excitable, St. Peter was chosen by Christ to lead the Church. By choosing Simon Peter to be the first pope, our Lord sent a clear and unmistakable message to all people: It is God Incarnate who, despite any and all appearances, is in charge of history and all things, "that no flesh may glory in His sight" (I Cor. 1:29). All the great things that Peter would do would be God's work, Peter being God's weak and humble instrument. God would make him strong.
St. Peter became strong once he received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost day. Immediately, he began interpreting for the multitudes, fearlessly giving witness to Christ as the only Lord and Redeemer, and baptizing the first Christian converts.
Then, we see St. Peter again acting courageously when he and St. John heal the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple in Jerusalem. Later, when forced to give an account before the Sanhedrin, Peter boldly and incriminatingly tells this august assembly that the crippled man has been healed "by the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom you crucified (Acts 4:10).
Finally, after being arrested, Peter is even more bold. Speaking for all the Apostles, he tells the high priest: "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
How wonderful is God's grace! Peter was once afraid to suffer for his Master, but now he rejoices to be "accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus" (Acts 5:42).
-Selection by: Charles J. Bak III; published in Composition for Young Catholics (Front Royal, VA: Seton Home Study School, 2005) 43.
Ultimately, "small hands [do] turn the wheels of the world, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere" (Christopher Tolkien in the introduction to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion). That's only because those hands and those hearts are guided by God's grace, which more than suffices to animate His small and humble chosen ones. The mighty of the first century A.D. certainly never expected a poor unknown fisherman to be such a bold and effective leader of the new-born Church. Indeed, Saint Peter was that---and more!
This and much more wonderful Catholic literature is to be found in Seton's Compositon for Young Catholics and throughout Seton's curriculum. For further information or to order one of Seton's books, simply contact Seton Educational Media. Seton's main number is 540-636-9990; just ask for the above mentioned department. -Fr. Charles Bak, MSA
ReplyDeleteBy the way, if you accidentally press "635" instead of "636", you will get the Chinese food restaurant from which many of us Seton home schooling enthusiasts ordered lunch at various times. Honest work does make one hungry! :) (rotate 180 degrees in your mind or turn your head sideways to see the smiling face)
ReplyDeleteWhat I find most remarkable about St. Peter is also what gives me the most faith in God's grace. Peter was eye witness and participant in Christ's miracle of walking on water, the transfiguration, the feeding of the 5,000 and seeing Christ after the resurrection. Even after all of this Christ still had to call to him and ask to "Feed my lambs, Tend my sheep, Feed my sheep." Christ, please keep encouraging me as You did Peter.
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