Today we celebrate two of the most important figures in the history of the Church: Peter and Paul. Though they were very different from one another, the Church would not have spread as far and as fast as it did if not for their tireless witness and commitment. What is easy to forget is how flawed each of these men was. Peter was one of Jesus’ closest companions, and yet there are numerous stories in the Gospels where Peter gets it wrong. It’s easy to forget that right after today’s Gospel passage, where Peter correctly identifies Jesus as the Son of God, Jesus calls Peter “Satan” and tells him to get behind him! Paul was a persecutor of the early Church—his conversion came only after he was stricken blind and Jesus appeared to him in a vision, asking why Paul was killing his followers. Paul would go on to spread the Gospel far and wide and establish the Church all over what is now Europe and the Middle East.
When we see Peter and Paul, we should remember that those called to serve the Church are far from perfect. As Christians we may be called to be “Christ-like,” but even the best of us have fallen short at times. If Peter could become pope
and Paul could be the greatest evangelizer of the early church, what could you or I become by acknowledging our flaws and submitting to the power that Jesus has in our lives to make us better? That is a much more compelling witness today than one that paints the false picture that all we do is perfect when so much in our Church and our world says the opposite.

Darius A. Villalobos
Darius A. Villalobos is the director of strategic partnerships and diversity, equity, and inclusion for the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM). He and his wife live in Chicago, where he serves in a variety of ministries involving youth and young adults, cultural diversity, and faith formation.