April 27, 2020
Good afternoon,
" These are the names of the twelve apostles : first, Simon ( who is called Peter ) and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector ; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus," Matthew 10:2-4
" They cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias, and so he was added to the eleven disciples . " Acts 2:26
Jesus had 12 disciples, and when Judas died, they had to replace him with Matthias. For the next few days, I want to look at these 12 men. We know that Jesus had many women who followed him around Galilee, and went with the group to Jerusalem. And, women were the first to announce the Resurrection ! I will explore the women next week.
The disciple most mentioned is Peter. We are told about his calling to follow. He is often the first to respond to events or questions. He gets angry at Jesus. Peter and other disciples fall asleep in the Garden. When Jesus needs him the most, Peter denies him three times in one night. Then, he is one of the first men to acknowledge the raising of Jesus. In the book of Acts, Peter is one of the leaders, preaching and healing. Jesus is going to build his church on " this Rock " .
It is said in the church tradition that Peter was crucified upside down. He was one of the first martyrs of the Church. In the catholic tradition, all the popes follow from St. Peter. At the heart of the church in Rome, there is St. Peter's Square and Basilica. This is where the Pope, Frances, lives today. Peter is the most important saint of the Church. Even with all of his faults, he is the most revered one of Jesus' disciples.
What story of Peter is important for you and your faith ? Is Peter too human, and commits too many sin/trespasses ? One of my favourite stories is on the Mountain of Transfiguration when Moses, Elijah and Jesus are in dazzling light, Peter wants to build a few tents ( or single family dwellings ) for them to live in. I want to control life, and tame all the wild things.
We cannot control life the way we would like to right now. Even as the curve flattens here, it seems to be out of our control. It may/should lead to more dependance on God ?
Song/Prayer for the Day
Cold is water
it freezes your already cold mind
already cold cold mind
And death is at your doorstep
And it will steal your innocence
But it will not steal your substance
But you are not alone in this
And you are not alone in this
As brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand.
Hold your hand …… Mumford and Sons
Fred
Ponder Anew 