TWO NOBLE SAINTS - PETER AND PAUL
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul—two of the most towering figures in the life of the early Church. Saints who, despite their flaws, failures, and vastly different personalities, were chosen by Christ to lead, to serve, and ultimately, to lay down their lives for the Gospel.
As I reflect on Peter and Paul, I’m struck not just by what they did—but by who they were. Peter, the fisherman and Paul, the Pharisee. One walked with Jesus from the beginning, the other encountered Him in a flash of light on the road to Damascus. One denied Jesus three times; the other persecuted Christians. Yet both became saints. Both became pillars of the Church.
And in them, I see myself and maybe you do too. There are days when I feel like Peter—confused, hesitant, even afraid. There are moments when I want to step forward in faith, but the waves of doubt and fear pull me under. I see Peter’s impulsiveness, his humanity, and it reminds me that discipleship doesn’t require perfection. It requires trust. Jesus didn’t give up on Peter, even after the denial. Instead, He met him with mercy and a mission: “Feed my sheep.”
Then there’s Paul. He was driven, brilliant, articulate and a natural leader. But he was also broken. His conversion wasn’t gentle; it was earth-shattering. And maybe that’s the kind of wake-up call some of us need, a reminder that no matter how far we stray, grace can find us. No past is too messy. No sin is too deep. God sees more in us than we see in ourselves. He saw an apostle in a persecutor. He too sees a disciple in me and in you.
One of the most powerful parts of this feast, for me, is how it shows God’s love for diversity in the Church. Peter and Paul were from different backgrounds, different styles of preaching, different communities they served. And yet, they were united by something greater than their differences: Jesus Christ.
That message feels especially important today, when division can so easily take root in our families, our communities, even in the Church. We are not called to be the same. We are called to be united in Christ, offering our different gifts for the good of others and the church. Peter’s pastoral heart and Paul’s missionary fire were both needed to build the Church and your gifts, whatever they may be, are needed, too.
Another thing that moves me about Saints Peter and Paul is their courage. Both were martyred in Rome. Both chose faith over fear. They didn’t die for a comfortable set of beliefs, they died for a living Person. Jesus was real to them. Real enough to give everything for. I ask myself often: is Jesus that real to me? Do I live like He’s worth everything?
And while most of us may not be called to literal martyrdom, we are called to a kind of daily martyrdom—to die to pride, to selfishness, to comfort, and to witness to the Gospel even when it's inconvenient. In a world that often pushes faith to the margins, we’re invited to bring it to the centre of our lives.
That’s not easy. But that’s why we celebrate this feast—not just to remember two saints from the past, but to be reminded that holiness is possible, even for ordinary people. Even for people like Peter, like Paul, you and me.
And so, on this solemn day, I invite each of us to reflect on three simple questions:
• Which area of my life am I being called to trust like Peter?
• Which area of my life am I being called to change like Paul?
• How am I being called to witness like both?
Let’s pray for the grace to answer those questions honestly. Let’s ask for the intercession of Saints Peter and Paul, not just to admire their courage, but to follow it. Not just to tell their stories, but to write our own.
May their example remind us that the Church is built not on perfect people, but on people who are willing to say yes again and again to Christ.
Article by Seminarian Colin Arriola, HFC Blog Guest Contributor