Rt Rev Bishop Joseph Toal, Bishop of Motherwell writes for the Catholic Union.
It is often remarked that one moment can change peoples’ lives – both the call of St Peter and the conversion of St Paul tend to bear this out. Not much time to make up their minds but radical choices made which changed the course of their lives, and arguably that of history. We admire their response to the Lord’s call and their steadfastness in faith through life and in death. We honour them as the Great Apostles of our Faith, particularly this coming Sunday, June 29th.
It is always an emotional moment during a pilgrimage to Rome to visit and pray at their tombs, recalling their martyrdom and thanking God for their courageous witness to the Lord. Our own faith is founded on that of Peter and Paul and nourished and strengthened as we honour their sacrifice and seek their intercession.
Recalling their heroism challenges us to be like them, particularly in standing up for our faith and the Church’s teaching, notably in the public square. It is not an easy task, and it is gratifying to see Catholics in public life doing this, for example in Parliament. In democratic societies we may notgain a majority or win the vote but the important point is to be guided by the “Spirit of Truth” and act accordingly. Our Catholic Faith equips us to this faithfully and honestly, inspired by Sts Peter and Paul, and Sts Thomas More and John Fisher.