Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I have been reading a fascinating book, How Catholic Art Saved the Faith, by Elizabeth Lev. It concerns the response of the Roman Catholic Church following the Protestant Reformation and the Council of Trent. During the Post-Reformation, the City which was still dominated by moldering old ruins of a glorious past set out to win back the faithful. Following the rush of enthusiasm for new ideas, millions of people returned to the Church of their birth, especially after their pilgrimage to restored Rome.
There they saw powerful new paintings of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, paintings which depicted both their humanity and their willingness to repent of their sins. Michelangelo and Caravaggio, in very different styles, portrayed Saint Peter's upside down crucifixion because, he said, he was not worthy to be crucified as the Lord had been. Even years after the incident, he recalled his moment of cowardice. Saint Paul was also depicted in the moment of his conversion, after severely persecuting Christians.
The oil paintings were astonishing since images of the two apostles of Rome had always described their saintly holiness and majestic authority. The pilgrims saw these new images and felt reassured that their own foolish sins would be forgiven. They had only to keep the faith in the face of religious violence in northern Europe.
In our own "post" era -- post-Covid, post-Vatican II, post-modern, post-Christian -- when practicing, churchgoing Christians are hypocritically assumed to be hypocrites, we again look to Rome and its founding apostles. We remember their frailty as men naturally inclined to cowardice, and the supernatural grace which made them champions.
And yes, we're well aware of our sins. If God had not preferred to work with sinners, we might wonder why they're so common in the Church. It is good to recall Saint Peter's momentary weakness and his final triumph. It is blessed to remember Saint Paul's immature reaction to something new and suspicious within his Jewish tradition. We're all prey to our worst impulses, and we're all called by grace love like the Saints..
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.