Rev Jose Mario O Mandía
Jesus handpicked twelve men whose names are listed in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, and Luke 6:14-16) and in the Acts of the Apostles (1:13 excluding Judas Iscariot). Saint Matthew writes, “The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter …” (10:2). “Simon Peter” is first in the list of Matthew, of Mark, of Luke, and of the Acts, but Matthew emphasizes this fact: Peter is first – “primus Simon.”
There is something special about Simon. He is not only first in the list of apostles. His name appears more frequently than all the others. “Simon,” or “Simon Peter,” or “Peter” appears at least 184 times in the four Gospels and the Acts. The next runner-up is John whose name occurs 30 times, then James (brother of John – 24 times), then Judas Iscariot (23 times), Philip (16), Andrew (13), Thomas (12), James the Less (9), Matthew (9), Bartholomew (or Nathanael – 4), Jude Thaddeus (4) and Simon the Zealot (4). Simon is special because Jesus said so. “And so 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” (Matthew 16:18-19). Jesus gave Simon a new name. “You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter)” (John 1:42). Cephas in Aramaic language means ‘rock,’ in Greek ‘Petros’; in Latin ‘Petrus’ and thus translated as “Peter”). Exegetes point out that ‘Cephas’ was not ordinarily used as a personal name. We notice Simon’s unique position among the apostles in today’s first reading and Gospel. We are told: “Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf” (Acts 12:5). The New Testament tells us how the early Christians prayed for one another, but this passage highlights the fact that the whole Church was praying for this one man: Peter.
Indeed, the Church was just following the example of Jesus himself, who told Simon in person: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith may not fail; and when thou hast turned again, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31-32).
Today, we also celebrate Saint Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles. There are so many lessons to learn from his life but let us just take one of the declarations he made during his second imprisonment in Rome shortly before his martyrdom: “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Here is a man who was aware of his sinfulness and frailty, but one who tried again and again, always relying on God’s grace. His example reminds me of some words that St Josemaría spoke when he was in his 70s: “O Lord, here I am beginning, beginning, always just beginning! I will try, however, to push forward each day with all my heart” (Forge 378)
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