“You will no longer be known in the world as Jessica, but as Sister Mary Peter of St. Joseph.”
I have always been very struck by St. Peter in the Gospels. He is so human. Peter does not always understand. He denies our Lord in His hour of need, and at first refuses to let Jesus wash his feet. Yet, Peter deeply loves our Lord, trusts when he does not understand, seeks forgiveness when he fails, and lets the Holy Spirit accomplish great things in him. His exuberant love for the Lord illustrates how we should respond to Christ. When he realizes Jesus is on the shore after the Resurrection, Peter jumps out of the boat and runs to him. He is the one who asks to come to Jesus on water during the storm. He wants to stay with Jesus on the mountain during the Transfiguration. Peter’s life is a constant example of seeking the Lord and striving to be with Him always.
Peter’s faith is also a model for me. He is the disciple who answers Jesus’ question by saying, “You are the Christ. The Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16). After so many leave Jesus after His teachings recounted in John 6, Jesus asks the Twelve if they will also leave. It is Peter who says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe, and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68). Peter may not understand everything that Jesus says or does. Yet, he believes and trusts. So often, there are things I do not understand. Like Peter, I am called to trust anyway. Like Peter, I am called to witness to others that this trust is possible when they feel overwhelmed, lost, or alone. Like Peter, I recognize that I can’t do it by myself. Peter needed help from Jesus. He needed the Holy Spirit to fulfill the specific call Jesus had given him. Peter reminds me to trust and depend on God in every aspect of my life.
The call of Peter reminds me of my own call. Jesus came to the seashore, got into his boat, and told Peter to go into the deep and throw his nets on the other side. The catch of fish was so large that Peter needed help. Then, Jesus told Peter to follow him and become a fisher of men. In a homily given last fall, Father made the point that Jesus came to Peter, met his needs, and then invited him to go deeper and accompany him. I see this in my story. Jesus caught my attention, over and over again met the needs I placed before Him, and gently asked me to trust Him and follow Him in a more radical way. Like Peter, I want to leave all behind and follow Jesus wherever He goes. June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is my name day.
~ Written by Sister Mary Peter