Friday, 5/17/13
The readings today deal with Peter and Paul, with each
reading hinting at the eventual fate of that one Apostle. In the Gospel Jesus
seems to have a vision of Peter being led off to his death in Rome. He said, “When
you are old someone else will dress you and lead out to where you do not want
to go.”
In somewhat the same line, the first reading has the Roman
governor deciding Paul should end his days in Rome.
That followed on yesterday’s reading in which Paul was
clever enough to avoid immediate condemnation in Jerusalem. On seeing that half
of his accusers were Pharisees, and half Sadducees, he evaded immediate judgment
by getting the two parties fighting. He did that by announcing that he was a
Pharisee, and that he was on trial for his belief in the resurrection of the
dead.
The Sadducees, who didn’t believe in life after death
shouted that there was no such thing, while the Pharisees said there was. In the
midst of their loud debate Paul, claiming Roman citizenship, demanded that he
be brought to Rome for trial.
A century after Peter and Paul were put to death in Rome St.
Irenaeus wrote that Peter and Paul had not died in Rome until they had fully
handed the teaching of Christ on to the Christians there. Irenaeus said that for
that reason the Christian beliefs of the people of Rome must be seen as coming
from Christ through his two principal Apostles.
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