This author illustrates how Sts. Peter and Paul laid the foundation for the early Church, encouraging us to follow in their footsteps.
Have you ever heard the expression, “He’s a brick?” The Greek writer Plutarch tells us the origin of this popular dictum. It seems that a diplomatic mission was sent to the city of Sparta that was acclaimed throughout Greece for its great strength. Assuming to find massive fortresses and possibly high walls surrounding the city, the ambassador found nothing of the kind. Surprised, he said to the king of Sparta: “Sir, you have no fortifications for defense. How can this be?”
The king responded: “We are well protected. Come back tomorrow, and I will show you the walls of Sparta.”
The next day, the ambassador returned and saw Sparta’s army assembled in full battle dress. Pointing to his soldiers, who stood fearlessly in place, the king said: “Behold! The walls of Sparta—10,000 men and every man is a brick.”
Annually on June 29, the Church celebrates the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, two men who, besides Jesus himself, were the most influential men in the progress of Christianity during the apostolic era. They were foundational bricks upon which Christianity was formed and grew. They were very different men, as the Scriptures and tradition clearly show, but their ability to work toward a common goal—the construction of the kingdom of God on earth—should inspire us to discover the “magic” they possessed and apply it to our daily lives as contemporary disciples of the Lord.
St. Peter’s Story
Unquestionably, Peter and Paul were two of the principal “bricks” that built the apostolic Church, but they were distinct men. The Gospel evangelists tell us that Peter was a fisherman who worked with his brother, Andrew, on the Sea of Galilee. Presumably, his education was minimal; there would have been no need for such training to be proficient in their occupation. We also know that Peter was at some time married, for Jesus cured his mother-in-law, who lived in Capernaum.
Peter was one of the elect “insiders” whom Jesus chose to be an apostle, one who was privileged to walk in the footsteps of the master, hear his words, and witness his many miracles. Peter, along with the sons of Zebedee (James and John), was possibly part of a more elite group within the apostles, as they were witnesses to some of the most dramatic events in Jesus’ earthly life, including his transfiguration on Mount Tabor (Mt 17:1, Mk 9:2, and Lk 9:28), the cure of Jairus’ daughter (Mk 5:37, Lk 8:51), and Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. While not specified, they were also present when Jesus raised his good friend Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11:1–44).
We recall that Peter was chosen by Christ to lead the Church. He told Peter: “I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:18–19).
The accolades and privileges that Jesus bestowed upon Peter were not the whole story, however, for his broken humanity was fully on display as well. Immediately after Jesus bestows upon him the keys of the kingdom, the Lord chastises his chosen leader for his failure to comprehend Jesus’ mission, proclaiming, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Mt 16:20).
Most infamously, it was Peter who, when Jesus needed him the most, denied the Lord three times (Mt 26:69–75). Fortunately for Peter, the Lord gave him another chance, an opportunity to profess his faith and loyalty. He asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” The three denials prior to the crucifixion are amended by the three affirmations of love and faith (Jn 21:15–19).
St. Paul’s Story
St. Paul’s early life was vastly different than that of Peter. Paul was a Pharisaic Jew who was born in the Gentile city of Tarsus, modern-day Turkey. He was well educated. While defending himself before his fellow Jews, Paul stated, “At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God” (Acts 22:3). Initially this zeal was manifested in his virulent persecution of the followers of Jesus. Autobiographically he wrote to the Christian community at Galatia, “For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it” (Gal 1:13).
Saul (the birth name of Paul) was present at the martyrdom of Stephen, one of the first deacons. Moreover, St. Luke, the author of the Acts of the Apostles, comments, “Now Saul was consenting to his [Stephen’s] execution” (Acts 8:1).
As Peter was given a second chance, so, too, was Paul. His famous conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1–19) was such an about-face that Ananias and many other early disciples were not convinced, wanting nothing to do with this man who had done so much harm to followers of Jesus. Yet Paul eventually gained the confidence of the followers of Jesus, moving from being a great persecutor of “The Way” to being this new faith’s ardent advocate.
Setting the Foundation
These two men, different in so many ways, became the brick foundation upon which the Christian faith was started through their fidelity to Christ and ability to compromise. Peter, a man who had failed the Lord, was transformed by the power of the Resurrection. No longer fearful, he proclaimed the message of Jesus with great skill, fervor, and zeal. He and others were recognized by their fellow Jews as followers of Jesus, and they were amazed at what they heard and saw.
Peter fearlessly preached, challenging his audience, “Repent, therefore, and be converted that your sins may be wiped away” (Acts 3:19). He worked miracles in the name of Jesus, including his cure of a paralyzed man, Aenas, at Lydda, and his restoration of life to Tabitha (Dorcas) in Joppa (Acts 9:32–43).
Paul’s contribution was equally dramatic but possibly even more important for the vast and rapid spread of the faith. People were cured at his touch, such as the crippled man in Lystra. In fact, Luke tells us, “So extraordinary were the mighty deeds God accomplished at the hands of Paul that when face cloths or aprons that touched his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them” (Acts 19:11–12).
Paul suffered greatly as a result of his faith in Christ. Despite the hurdles and obstacles, he could write to his friend Timothy: “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (II Tm 4:7). The most significant aspect of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles was his formation of small Christian communities and the letters he wrote to these nascent groups during his three long, dangerous, and arduous missionary journeys throughout the eastern Mediterranean world. Christianity would be inconceivable today without the contribution of St. Paul.
These two men also became bricks in the foundation of the faith by their ability to compromise. In the year 49, the apostles met at what today is known as the Council of Jerusalem. A significant question needed to be resolved: Was it necessary for Gentiles to follow every aspect of Mosaic law to become followers of Jesus? In essence, the leaders of this “new way” were asking: “Is it necessary to become Jewish before one can become a Christian?”
Peter led the more conservative response, believing that Mosaic law continued to be central for all followers of Jesus. Paul, on the other hand, had a more progressive view, supporting the belief that while the Mosaic law is important, there was no need for Gentiles to follow it to the letter.
The issue was discussed, and a compromise was reached. Again, Luke reports the outcome of the council: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you [the Gentiles] any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meat of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right” (Acts 15:28–29).
The compromise allowed the Christian faith to become its own separate religion; it did not need to be a subgroup of Judaism. This paved the way for the flourishing of the faith over the succeeding two millennia.
Challenges Today
The ability of Sts. Peter and Paul to find common ground and become bricks of the apostolic Church presents an important challenge for contemporary Christians. We live in a very divisive and complicated world, a society that becomes more complex and divided each day. Thus, the challenge to find common ground and to advance human society and the Church is great. Yet that is precisely what we are called to do. If we can take the same attitude as Peter and Paul, then we can indeed become contemporary bricks to build the kingdom of God in our 21st-century society.
A significant divide is readily apparent in the political realm. The division is not simply between Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, but more directly from the perspective of the Church, the gulf found within the Roman Catholic community. Catholics find themselves on both sides of several issues, including immigration, the international situation involving war and peace, and the proper response to various social issues, including gay rights, legalization of marijuana and other substances, and more recently transgenderism.
Divisions in our understanding of Catholicism are also quite evident. The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), which concluded 60 years ago, created a divide that was often described as traditional versus progressive. Some believed the council to be a revolution, a completely new direction for the Church. Others understood the council to bring change, but with continuity from the past tradition. For nearly a half-century, Catholics found themselves on one side or the other.
Religious scholars often described “the spirit of Vatican II” as advocating for religious experimentation in the liturgy and social norms and proclaiming that such nouveau practices were consistent with the thinking of the council fathers. In contrast, more traditionalists rejected these ideas, viewing them as an aberration of the faith and inconsistent with the tradition of the Church. This divide was clearly illustrated when asking a Catholic, “Are you a John Paul II or a Francis Catholic?” for clearly these two pontiffs manifested marked differences in their guidance of the Church.
Today, we see an interesting circumstance, an apparent reversal in perspective. The baby boomers, those who lived through the changes of Vatican II, hold a more progressive view of the Church, while many younger people, those described as Generation X or millennials, are harkening to a more traditional or conservative practice. This is evident in the contemporary debate over the restoration of the Latin Mass and the growing practice of receiving the Eucharist while kneeling.
While divisions exist, there are more things in society and our Church that unite us. All people seek safety, to live in freedom, and to enjoy basic human rights as described in the Declaration of Independence. We believe in a democratic political process that allows all citizens to participate through representative government. People appreciate hard work, dedication to a task, and a sense of fairness to all.
In the Church, we believe in the efficacy of the sacraments, the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit guiding the Holy Father and others in positions of authority and responsibility.
We must find common ground so we can become bricks and build a better and more compassionate world. Our common goal was articulated well by Father Basil Moreau, CSC, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, who told his fledgling religious community that its task was “To make God better known, loved, and served.”
Finding Common Ground
Divisions have always existed in every realm of human society: political, religious, and social; it is part of human nature to have differences of opinion. Yet historically people have found ways to come together for a common goal.
In the United States, the battle that ensued between the Founding Fathers over the Constitution—including centralized versus decentralized federal government and state representation in the Congress—was great. But Washington, Jefferson, and Madison, et al, held a common goal and were able to put aside their differences, seek compromise, and write a document that has guided the country for over two centuries.
Similarly, Sts. Peter and Paul, different in background and theological perspective, were able to find common ground, realizing that advancing teachings of Jesus Christ and building the nascent Church was much more important than any differences they held.
Contemporary Catholics should be inspired to take the same approach to find common ground. Yes, there are many things that will divide us, but there can and must be much more that unites us. The challenge of the contemporary Church is not new, and we should not be surprised that this hurdle is present. Jesus never promised that being his disciple would be easy. On the contrary, he told his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come to me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mk 8:34).
Let us do what we can as individuals and community to build God’s kingdom. As the expression goes, “Think globally, act locally.” We do so to build God’s kingdom, brick by brick, in our world.
