Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius November 5, 2017 Spiritual Ponderings Apostles
I am constantly amazed at how God speaks to us through the Sacred Scripture. His Word is old and yet new all at the same time. It is meant for all to read and hear and yet through prayer, it can speak to me and to the challenges of my life. With all of this in mind and with an appreciation for the evangelists who wrote the Scripture and awe for God the divine author of the same words, I would like to share with you how the Apostles help influence my life as a Christian and in my pursuit of holiness.
(1)Peter/Simon Many books have been written about St. Peter or at least have large sections devoted to his life. I am particularly fond of Bishop Sheen’s account of Peter’s life in his book:
A Priest is not His Own. By tying the story of Peter walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-33) with the story of Peter at the end of John’s Gospel (Chapter 21), I see in Peter a great development in his faith. In the first passage, I see Saint Peter trying to be showy in his faith by asking God to help him do something big like walk on the water. In the story that takes place after the Resurrection Peter no longer seems concerned about appearance or flashiness. When he discovers that he is in one place and Jesus is in another place, Peter wastes no time in trying to reach Jesus. I use this story to help motivate me to do whatever I need to do to be close to Christ even if I am going to end up looking like a fool to others.
PRAYER TO ST PETER THE APOSTLE O blessed St Peter, head and chief of the Apostles, thou art the guardian of the keys of the heavenly kingdom, and against thee the powers of hell do not prevail; thou art the rock of the Church and the shepherd of Christ’s flock; thou art great in power, wonderful in thy heavenly bliss; thou hast the right of binding and loosing in heaven and on earth. The sea supported thy footsteps, the sick upon whom even thy shadow fell were cured of their ills. By the memory of that right hand which supported thee on the waves of the sea, lift me from the ocean of my sins, and by those tears which thou didst shed for thy Lord, break the bonds of my offences and free me from the hand of all my adversaries. Help even me, O good shepherd, that I may in this life serve Christ Jesus and thee, that with thy help, after the close of a good life, I may deserve to attain the reward of eternal happiness in heaven, where thou art unto endless ages the guardian of the gates and the shepherd of the flock. Amen.
(2)Andrew Andrew, Peter’s brother, whom we hear in St. John’s Gospel (John 1:40) was the first Apostle to follow Jesus, teaches me through his life about humility. In spite of the fact that he was the first apostle to follow Christ, he is often left out from the core group. For example, Peter, James and John are the ones Jesus takes with Him for the Transfiguration (Mathew 17) and the curing of the official’s daughter (Mark 5:31). Andrew is never recorded as complaining. When I see, others being promoted or getting special treatment, I pray to St. Andrew for help and assistance in remaining humble.
Prayer to St. Andrew: O Glorious Saint Andrew, you were the first to recognize and follow the Lamb of God. With your friend Saint John you remained with Jesus for that first day, for your entire life, and now throughout eternity. As you led your brother Saint Peter to Christ and many others after him, draw us also to Him. Teach us to lead others to Christ solely out of love for Him and dedication in His service. Help us to learn the lesson of the Cross and to carry our daily crosses without complaint so that they may carry us to Jesus.