June 29, 2026 Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – Day Mass Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19
Today is Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.
The Martyrologium Romanum tells us: St. Peter (+ c.64) was the brother of St. Andrew and a Galilean fisherman. He was called by the Lord and, despite his obvious human weaknesses, eventually became the leader of the Twelve, the ‘rock’ on which the Church was built. After Pentecost, he became particularly associated with Antioch and then Rome. He was crucified under Nero and buried at the Vatican.
St. Paul (+ c.64/67) was a tentmaker from Tarsus (then capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, now in Turkey), a Pharisee and a Roman citizen. He was initially a persecutor of Christians but was converted by the Lord on his way to Damascus. He became the Apostle of the Gentiles, preaching the Gospel to the uncircumcised, reaching Greece, Italy, Malta, and possibly even Spain. He was beheaded along the Via Ostiense and buried nearby, on the site where the basilica bearing his name now stands.
Today’s Mass Gospel is taken from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew, recounting an encounter between Jesus and Simon Peter. I take this opportunity to offer some reflections.
At the beginning of today’s Gospel, Saint Matthew tells us that Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” The disciples offered various answers: “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (cf. Matt 16:13-14). They gave these answers because they did not yet see Him—or the world as He taught it—through the eyes of faith.
Today, Peter answers on behalf of the Church: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (cf. Matt 16:15-16). This response comes not only from the Father’s revelation but also from Peter’s own lived experience. Recall when Jesus boarded Peter’s boat on the Sea of Galilee and told him to lower the nets after a fruitless night of labor. Peter replied, “Master, we toiled all night and caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets” (cf. Luke 5:5). When he obeyed and drew in a miraculous catch, he fell before Jesus saying, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (cf. Luke 5:8). Immediately, he left everything to follow Jesus. Having witnessed Jesus’ deeds, heard His teachings, and seen the two multiplications of the loaves, Peter no longer perceived Jesus through worldly eyes. Gradually, guided by the Holy Spirit, he came to recognize Jesus truly. Thus, when Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (cf. Matt 16:15-16). Speaking on behalf of the Twelve, he boldly professed this faith.
Peter’s journey of faith mirrors our own. God draws us through particular events in our lives—leading us to church, drawing us to His Sacred Heart—constantly enlightening us to discern the vocation He bestows. With the Church’s help, we discern this call. Relying on God’s infinite mercy, we receive Baptism from the hands of a priest, are united to Christ, anointed with the Holy Spirit, and become children of God. St. Paul’s journey differed greatly; once a persecutor of the Church, his encounter with Christ radically altered his path. Making two journeys to Rome, he ultimately bore witness there unto death, leaving us a priceless treasury of teaching.
O God, who on the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul give us the noble and holy joy of this day, grant, we pray, that your Church may in all things follow the teaching of those through whom she received the beginnings of right religion.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,God, for ever and ever.
June 28, 2026 Evening: Vigil Mass for the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul Gospel: John 21:15-19
Today is the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. According to ancient ecclesiastical tradition, this evening we celebrate the Vigil Mass for the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. For pastoral reasons, we offer reflections on both these liturgical celebrations this year.
The Vigil Mass is celebrated either before or after Evening Prayer I of the feast. The Gospel is taken from the Holy Gospel according to John. In fact, we already proclaimed this Gospel on Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter. Yet, reading it today within the context of the Vigil for Saints Peter and Paul imparts a unique spiritual resonance.
In this evening’s Gospel, we witness the Risen Lord Jesus, after His Resurrection and before His Ascension, in His final dialogue with the Apostle Peter. Jesus asks him three times, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” (cf. Jn 21:15a, 16a, 17a). Three times Peter responds, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you” (cf. Jn 21:15b, 16b, 17b). This recalls to mind the profession of faith we made at our Baptism. On that day, before God and in the presence of the Church, we professed: We believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; we believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose again, and now lives in glory; we believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Yet, no sooner do we leave the sacred space of the church and return to secular life than we often cast aside this profession, failing to live according to the teachings of Jesus. The things of this world drive us to pursue its passing goods—money, power, and status—at any cost. In seeking these, we relegate our faith to a secondary place.
Today, the Church, in this Vigil Mass for the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, invites us to contemplate the Risen Lord’s final encounter with Peter. She invites us to reflect anew on the moment of our own encounter with Jesus Christ, to cherish that initial meeting, to re-experience His love for us, and to discern anew the unique vocation He has bestowed upon us. May we then fulfill this calling according to His holy will, living out the love of Christ for the world.
O God, who through the grace of adoption chose us to be children of light, grant, we pray, that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
June 28, 2026 Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel: Matthew 10:37-42
Today is the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. According to ancient ecclesiastical tradition, this evening we celebrate the Vigil Mass for the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. For pastoral reasons, we offer reflections on both these liturgical celebrations this year.
The Gospel reading for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time is taken from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. In this passage, Jesus speaks to us about a reordered love. I describe it as a reordered love because the love Jesus demands of us stands in stark contrast to our common understanding of love.
We often live according to our own perception of God’s will. To us, it might seem that Christ the Lord, rich in mercy, is instructing His disciples to foster enmity with their own kin, creating strife and discord simply to appear set apart from this world—to make a public display of singularity before society.
But Christ the Lord, rich in mercy, teaches His disciples: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matt 10:37-39) This does not mean Jesus requires His disciples to sever ties with their families. Rather, He calls them to embrace His worldview and to see the world through His eyes.
Jesus’ worldview differs radically from ours. Our perspective prioritizes love for parents, relatives, and benefactors—extending love to those outside our biological bonds only if surplus affection remains. The worldview Jesus imparts places love for Him above all. To love Him means accepting His vision: loving not only parents, relatives, and benefactors but also those outside biological kinship—the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the marginalized. They too are our kindred. To love them is not merely to offer comforting words, but to listen to them, just as Jesus remains ever at our side—in the tabernacle, in the Sacraments—accompanying us, listening to us, and granting our petitions with His infinite mercy.
As I compose this reflection, my thoughts turn to those clerics who abandoned promising futures in this passing world, left behind warm family homes, caring parents, and the comforts of heart and kin to embrace religious consecration. Following the Savior’s command, they chose to love the flock entrusted to them by our Lord Jesus Christ. Some among them have borne witness to Christ even unto the shedding of their blood. I further recall those brothers and sisters who generously opened their homes to these ministers of God, loving Him to such an extent that they offered all they possessed. Though the Precepts of the Church require only proportionate support for its needs, their giving exceeded all prescription. I think especially of the families of those living consecrated lives—families who rejected worldly expectations, never demanding that their consecrated children marry and bear offspring. In return, God grants them spiritual children born of the faithful labors of those same consecrated sons and daughters. Surely, this is the reward promised by Jesus to those who follow Him.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! This evening, we shall celebrate the Vigil Mass for the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Now, let us pray with devout hearts:
O God, who through the grace of adoption chose us to be children of light, grant, we pray, that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
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