Our Journey of Faith

In today’s first reading, Acts 12: 1-11, King Herod, after killing James, the brother of John, imprisons Peter, as he believed that he was pleasing the people by murdering James.  He intended, most likely, to put Peter to death also.  God sends angels to free Peter from prison.   In the second reading, 2 Timothy 4: 6-8, 17-18, Paul realizes that his earthly existence is coming to an end and gives testimony that he has “competed well,” has “kept the faith,” and “finished the race.”  A “crown of righteousness,” he states to Timothy, “awaits me, which the Lord the just judge, will award to me on that day….”

You and I are on the same journey as Peter and Paul, whose feast day we celebrate today. God does not promise us that the journey will be easy. Like Peter and Paul we will, at times,  encounter  those who misunderstand us, judge us wrongly and, yes, even mistreat us, and  imprison us in  “cells” of judgment, and disfavor, accusing us of  being unfaithful servants of our God and not measuring up to their expectations.

Peter and Paul kept their eyes on the Lord and on the finish line: their living according to God’s will and their  birth into eternal life through death and resurrection. It was the Lord whom they were serving, not humankind, though fellow men and women on this same journey were part of their loving, caring, nurturing presence and service.

On whom or on what are  we focused: the wrongs done to us, the persons who judge us harshly or the living of the Gospel message and developing a loving relationship with Jesus?  What attitudes or behaviors do we need to let go of that obstruct our understanding of and giving expression to  the Gospel message in our lives as a mother/father, husband/wife, member of a religious community, a member of a parish, at the place of our employment? What attitudes in us interfere with developing an ever deepening relationship with Jesus?

Remember also, that God, as He did for Peter,  sends"angels" to help us and free us from "the prison" into which  we believe others have "thrown" us by their suspicions, judgments and unfavorable attitudes towards us.  If we take other people's impressions of us as true, we are in trouble, as we would be if, like Herod, we try to please others.  Stay focused on Jesus and Jesus alone and you will live a free life!