June 6: Saint Peter / San Pedro

At one point in his life, St. Peter was a brash and impulsive man. After betraying Jesus, however, he tasted a flood of humility and remorse. He became sobered by failure and the Scriptural accounts about him speak of a new self-awareness after Jesus had risen from the dead. Essentially, after tasting his own need for mercy, he had learned compassion for others, and became the kind of man to effectively lead Christ’s Church.

There is no better display of St. Peter’s change than the love, contrition, and obedience he learned from the Lord’s prompting and which he writes about in his First and Second Letters (in the New Testament of the Bible). Love, contrition, and obedience became the hallmarks of his ministry. As such, he truly became the rock of the Church and patron of all apostolic people.

Take a moment to read (or re-read) St. Peter’s Letters. Even though he speaks with authority, there is a quality of patience about him. For example, “I, who am an elder myself, appeal to the Church elders among you.” (1 Peter 5, 1). He is able to love and be loved. He is humble and open to others in their ideas and talents, aware of sin and able to appreciate the weakness of others, and ready to obey Jesus at all costs. This is the authentic “Petrine ministry” our Church both treasures and prays for.

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En el Evangelio de San Juan (17, 11-19), podemos ver muy claro que siempre hay lugar para una segunda oportunidad. En el texto, Jesús le pregunta a San Pedro tres veces si le ama. Cada vez que San Pedro afirma su amor, Jesús le encarga cuidar de sus ovejas. Este pasaje resalta lo crucial que es el amor a Jesús como base del ministerio y la autoridad que le otorga a San Pedro para guiar a la Iglesia.

Y al confiarle a San Pedro el cuidado de sus ovejas, Jesús le otorga una autoridad específica para guiar a toda la Iglesia. Esta autoridad se simboliza con el término “apacienta,” que implica cuidar, proteger, y alimentar a las ovejas. Esta tarea no es fácil. Además de los problemas de la Iglesia naciente, Jesús le hace saber que su fin será parecido al del Maestro. Le dice a San Pedro que cuando sea viejo, otro lo ceñirá y lo llevará a donde no quiera. Esta profecía se refiere a la muerte de San Pedro, que sería por crucifixión. En la invitación “sígueme,” va implícito un final similar al de Jesús. Como siempre, no es sencillo, pero es posible. Para eso están el amor y el Espíritu Santo.