Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, Sunday, June 29, 2025

I was listening to someone ask a bishop why the Catholic Church teaches that the Sacraments are necessary for salvation, like Baptism and Holy Communion. In other words, “How can the Catholic Church be so exclusive in its teachings; isn't that narrow-minded?” 

…As a side-note, I will add that the Church does teach that God can save people who are not Baptized or who have not received Holy Communion, but it is through the Catholic Church that the grace of being saved comes; Jesus saves the world through His Church, which is His Body, because the body, the Church, is never separated from the head, Jesus.


But, back to my story: So, this question is asked of this bishop about why the Church teaches that the Sacraments are necessary for salvation, and, without skipping a beat, the bishop began to quote Jesus’ very words about Baptism,  saying, quote “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” Then the bishop quoted Jesus’ words on the Eucharist: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” Then, the bishop quoted Jesus speaking to his disciples before He sent them out two-by-two, saying, quote, “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”


…I share this because, in today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus say to Peter:


“[Y]ou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church…I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind [or loose] on earth shall be bound [or loosed] in heaven.”


Brothers and sisters, the Bible itself makes it utterly clear that the only Church that resembles the Church that Jesus founded is the Catholic Church: There is no other Church that holds as true everything Jesus taught; there is no other church that has the successor of Peter as it’s lead Bishop; there is no other church that has received authority from Jesus to be the authoritative voice of Christianity.


…But we know there are infinite reasons people leave the Catholic Church, although, no matter how serious the scandal, if people knew and understood what they were leaving, they would not leave: That’s why you're here, and that’s why Saints Peter and Paul remained in the Church even though they had plenty of reasons to leave.


Saint Peter had a front row seat to one of Jesus’ closest followers betraying Him. The disgust Peter felt must have been overwhelming. After watching an actual Apostle betray the Lord, perhaps Peter was thinking to himself, “I can’t stomach this; how can I be a part of this?” Peter also had the guilt and shame to carry after himself denying Jesus…Perhaps he was wondering how he could ever remain part of the Church after denying and abandoning its Founder. And, think of the reasons people had of not being part of the Church after seeing that the lead Apostle could not remain faithful.


…Saint Paul may have had even more reason than Peter to quit the Church. As we know, much of the New Testament was written by Paul, and the main reasons Paul wrote to the churches was to correct abuses and the falling away of church members from the true faith. Paul said that he wrote one of his letters amidst tears; he even calls the Church of the Galatians “stupid.”


…In the heat of the moment, we could understand if Peter and Paul quit the Church but, looking back, we know for Peter to use Judas as an excuse, or even his own guilt, would make no sense; although, emotionally, we could understand. 


Nor, would it make sense for Paul to leave the Church because of the bad behavior and false doctrines of those in the Churches he had helped found and was trying to support.


…Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus has never lacked betrayers; the Church has never lacked scandals. Just yesterday, someone was telling me that they look forward to the present scandal being behind us." And I told him, “There has never been a time when there hasn't been scandal. Something else is going to happen, whatever it may be.” Jesus Himself taught about scandal, saying, “Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come!” 


…Not only did Peter and Paul stay in the Church but historical, biological, archaeological, and traditional evidence point to the fact that these Saints’ very bones are buried beneath Catholic Churches in Rome: Peter’s bones at Saint Peter’s Basilica and Paul’s bones at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Wall.


…May our faith in Jesus, and may our understanding and faith in His Church, be as strong as Peter’s and Paul’s, so that our very bones will remain in the Church that Jesus promises leads to Heaven.



Scriptures for this Mass: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062925-Mass.cfm


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