Today happens to be a very rare occasion — we get to celebrate the feast day of St Peter and St Paul on a Sunday! Very out of the ordinary…

Now, Saint Peter and Saint Paul have many things in common — their love for the Truth. Their passion for sharing the Gospel. Their willingness to undergo sufferings on behalf of the Church…

But one thing in particular stands out to me that unites these two men — these two PILLARS of the Catholic Church:

They both got rescued by God.

In our first reading today, we heard about the time when St. Peter was arrested for spreading the Name of Jesus, and got thrown into jail by King Herod. He was locked up with “double chains” the Scripture says. And as the story goes, as the Church prayed fervently for Peter, an angel came to him by night, tapped Peter on the shoulder and said: “Get up quickly!”

The chains fell from his wrists, and Peter was rescued from the clutches of Herod! Metal chains could not bind up the message Peter had to share! They fell away easily… and Peter was set free.

But this wasn’t the only time Peter got rescued. 

In the deepest sense, Peter first got rescued — when his brother Saint Andrew introduced him to Jesus. Didn’t our Lord say it himself: “I have come to seek and to save that which was lost?” Now Peter was found. Now he was rescued by this Good Shepherd who is more than willing to leave the 99 to go out and rescue the 1…

Peter was also rescued that one time when he boldly walked onto the water, but then started to sink — He cried out in fear: “Lord, save me!” And immediately, Jesus threw out his hand and rescued him! 

He was also rescued from error, rescued from incorrect doctrine when in our Gospel passage today, Jesus asked point blank: “Who do people say that I am?” — and Peter boldly stood up declaring: “You are the Christ.” Jesus then promised Peter that he would ALWAYS be rescued from error — “On this Rock I will build my Church! He said that the gates of Hell would NEVER prevail against the Church — thus guaranteeing the Holy Spirit would protect us the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church from all heresy through the ministry of Peter and his successors.

Peter was also rescued from his terrible betrayal of Jesus. Peter denied knowing the Son of God three times, but Jesus didn’t give up on him. Instead, he rescued him by giving him a chance to repent. He gave him a chance to say three times: “Yes Lord, you know that I love you… You know that I love you… You know that I love you…”

And what about Saint Paul? How was he rescued?

Well, in that beautiful second reading we have today from his second letter to Timothy, we hear Paul say: 

“I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom.”

He wrote those words during his second imprisonment in Rome.

Saint Paul’s entire ministry was marked with the Cross. He truly was crucified to the world, and the world to him. Jesus rescued him time and time again in order that he might be a missionary to the farthest reaches of the known world.

He was rescued from death after being dragged out of the city and stoned. 

Another time he was rescued from martyrdom by being let out of a window in a basket. Three separate times, he was somehow rescued from shipwreck. He was rescued from prison by an earthquake. Rescued from being torn apart by the Sadducees and Pharisees. Rescued from countless dangers that he recounts in his letter to the Corinthians: “Dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers…”

But once again, the most stunning rescue came when he was on that road to Damascus — He had already made up his mind to go try and destroy this brand new Christian Church that was spreading faster and faster. But Jesus suddenly zapped him with His grace, and called out: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And his life was changed for ever…

He was rescued! Rescued from himself!!!! Rescued from sin and shame! Rescued from lies. Rescued from eternal death!

Paul himself wrote in his letter to the Colossians: “[The Father] has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

That’s really what I wanted to preach to you this weekend:

The Lord is trying to rescue ALL OF US as well.

That’s what the Cross is — it’s a Rescue mission for the most lost, most hopeless, most desperate and most brokenhearted people.

So let’s ALL agree on something right now:

Let’s not waste any more time fighting Him! Let’s not resist His helping hand!

I remember one time, I saw a big snapping turtle trying to cross the road… and I felt really bad for him. He was going to be smashed to smithereens if I just left him there. But when I went to carefully pick him up and carry him across the road… He started HISSING at me! 

He was so angry! So scared!!!! But I was only trying to rescue him!

Unfortunately, he thought I was his enemy.

So often, this is what we do to God. We do this with the Church as well! The Lord extends a helping hand — He tries to rescue us! — but what do we do?

We hiss at Him! We harden our hearts and believe the lie that the Lord and His Church are against us! We resist and insist that we know what we’re doing! We’re in control! We don’t need the Church or God to tell us how to live our lives! We don’t need saving! We don’t need healing! We can handle this just fine on our own!

But lemme tell ya — that’s a really good way to get yourself smashed to smithereens…

St Peter and St Paul show us another way — a much better way: 

They allowed the Lord to rescue them. They admitted where they were wrong, where they were weak and insufficient… and then they gave God full permission to pick them up, and bring them to safety…

…Not a worldly safety that was perfectly comfortable, calm and easy… but an eternal security. A deep, abiding trust that God would never fail them, never let them down, and never abandon them no matter how bad things ultimately got.

Remember:

Paul would eventually have his head cut off with a sword…

Peter would be crucified upside down…

And yet, both of these men went to their deaths knowing and believing that Jesus Christ had rescued them. Freed them from their sins, and given them hope. They died martyrs deaths absolutely convinced that our God was a God who opens prison doors… breaks chains… changes stubborn hearts… closes lions mouths…heals diseases… and shakes the whole world awake from its sleep…

So, St Peter and St Paul, please pray for us — pray that we would really truly surrender to God. Pray that we allow the Good Lord to rescue each and every one of us as well, and then through us — may He rescue countless other souls.

Amen.