As we reflect on the significance of the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, I am reminded of the words uttered by the Bishop during the time of my diaconate ordination, “Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” These words encapsulate the essence of the lives of St. Peter and Paul, who are revered as pillars and leaders of the Church.  The Gospel reading aptly highlights two qualities that we see in the lives of these revered saints-the first being a credible witness, and the second, is that of tending to the flock.

Let me start with the quality of being a witness. The peak moment in the Gospel was Peter’s confession of faith in “Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter’s confession was made in trust from a heart that was convinced that Jesus was Christ. It is this simple trust that God desires and longs. It is in this openness that God reveals himself to the person of Peter. Therefore, a leader witnesses this revelation of God not just through words that he has heard but through a real encounter that he has interiorized and understood. Simon’s confession of faith earns him a new identity, ‘Peter,’ which means rock, and it was on this rock-solid faith of Peter that Jesus was going to build his community. Hence, the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven would be given to Peter. It is not to be understood according to the popular notion in stories and jokes that we hear of Peter holding the keys of Heaven. It symbolizes the teaching and proclaiming authority that is henceforth given to Peter. Likewise, from him, the authority is presented to his present-day successor, Pope Francis. 

The second quality of a good leader is tending to the flock and thus building the Church. A poignant anecdote about Pope Francis during his time in Buenos Aires exemplifies this. In his role overseeing the seminarians, he would instruct them as they embarked on their weekend ministry with the following words, “walk the neighborhood, see what the needs of the people are, try to do something, and just don’t comb the flock.” Upon their return, he would inspect their feet. If they were clean, it was a sign that they had not fulfilled their duty. Tending the flock, as Pope Francis demonstrated, means getting our feet dirty. It means getting involved in the lives, struggles, pain, suffering and joys of the people we serve. We understand reality better when we live, talk, and walk together with the poor, neglected, and marginalized.

Let us pray for the grace to imbibe the qualities of St. Peter and Paul so that we can be worthy witnesses of Christ in our words and deeds and accompany people in our capacity to bring about the Kingdom of God.