Daily Archives: June 29, 2026

Finishing the Race

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“I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:7) So wrote St. Paul in his letter to Timothy.  Eric Liddle understood that. He was China-born in 1902, the son of Scot Presbyterian missionaries, who, as was the custom, sent Eric and his sister Jennie back to Scotland for their education and formation for mission in China.  Eric was an excellent student and an even better athlete. He represented Scotland in rugby, cricket, and track.  Eric’s sister Jennie worried he was too busy in athletics and was losing focus, being carried away by the glory and achievements of the sports fields and was losing attention and concern for their family mission in China. Eric told her: “I believe that God made me for a purpose… (the mission), but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.”  Fast he was.  Eric Liddle was the 400 m gold medalist in the 1924 Olympic games in Paris.  

“God made me for a purpose.”  After the games, Eric returned to China where he served the Christian missions for 20 years.  In 1937 the Japanese invaded China and soon Eric, his wife and children were interned in a prison camp.  During the war there was a formal exchange of prisoners between Japan and Britain. Because of his fame, Eric and his family were on the list.  His wife and family were sent to Canada, but God has made Eric for a purpose. He gave up his place to a pregnant woman and stayed behind as a prisoner of war.  He died just before the end of the war in 1945.  Eric Liddle competed well, finished the race and kept the faith. God made him for a purpose.

The early Church learned very quickly that following Jesus did not exempt them from ridicule, dismissal or harm. Living a Christian Life gave no protection against earthly adversity. With the memory of Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost still fresh, the Apostles were called before the Sanhedrin, then James was beheaded. Peter, their leader, was jailed. 

Peter was made for a purpose.  A fisherman handed the keys to the kingdom of God. From that heady moment, Peter went on to deny our Lord. Only later, by the shore of the Galilee to be restored in love by the risen Christ.  Peter continued the race. The Angel of the Lord freed Peter from Prison – and left him alone in the dark alley behind the jail – the race wasn’t over .. Peter continued to keep the faith. Peter was made for a purpose – witness and missionary…. and fisherman. Peter competed well, finished the race and kept the faith.

Paul was made for a purpose.  A Pharisee trained to defend his Jewish traditions; commissioned to arrest the renegade Christians and bring them back in chains.  Saul the Destroyer converted to Paul the Apostle in the aftermath of the Damascus road incident. Paul was made for a purpose – Apostles to the Gentiles.

Paul competed well, but not always successfully. Along with his band of disciples, Paul endured much affliction: driven out of towns; capsized in the Mediterranean Sea; robbed and beaten by highway marauders; thrashed by local governments; imprisoned and threatened with death. Still, he planted churches across the eastern Mediterranean and Rome beckoned. Paul explained the gospel that Peter proclaimed. He explained and taught the implications of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul was made for a purpose – teacher and missionary … and tent maker. Paul competed well, finished the race and kept the faith.

What about you and I…. we are still in the race.  Have we competed well so far?  Have we kept the faith?  The race is still on.  There are days I share Jeannie Liddle’s concerns – are we too busy and distracted to keep our eye on the prize. We worry about the transient things, things that do not last.  But we were made for a purpose – just like Eric Liddle, St Peter and St Paul.  It is a purpose driven life; a gospel-driven life.

So… what race are you running?  If it is a race that does not allow you to keep the faith at work, at school, at home…you are in the wrong race.  If it is a race that imprisons your Christian faith. You are in the wrong race.  If it is a race that silences your voice, chokes off your witness, and sells short your purpose. You are in the wrong race. You won’t finish.  

Where do you spend your energy?  What do you value?  These are hints about the race you have entered.  Tent maker, fisherman, teacher, preacher, home maker, office worker, student, and more – each called to mission.  

What we celebrate this day in the lives of Sts. Peter and Paul – and all the saints of God – people like Eric Liddle – is that they found the purpose worth their energies. It is a purpose driven life; a gospel-driven life? 

At the end of days, I hope that others will say of us “They competed well, finished the race and kept the faith.”

Amen.

Image credit: Icon from “Christ Between Saints Peter and Paul” | Pietro Lorenzetti, ca. 1320 | Ferens Art Gallery, Hull England \ PD-US

They made known the Good News

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Today is the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Most of the apostles and lots of saints have their own feast day, but how about the two most famous saints of the early church? There is February 22nd in which the Church celebrates the “Chair of Peter” the sign that Peter was the first among the apostles and the one designated to lead the early Church after Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension. But there is no “Feast of St. Peter.”

St. Paul, although not one of the Twelve, was an Apostle commissioned by Jesus. There is the January 25th celebration of “The Conversion of St. Paul” which commemorates the Damascus Road episode described in Acts of the Apostles: 9:1-31, 22:1-22, and 26:9-24. It is the scene made famous by the “Conversion on the Way to Damascus” painting by Caravaggio. But there is no “Feast of St. Paul.”

The two leading saints of the early Church are celebrated together in the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul as they are the founders of the See of Rome, through their preaching, ministry and martyrdom there. This celebration is a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul and is observed on June 29th – without declaring that to be the day of their deaths. St. Augustine of Hippo (late 4th century) says in his Sermon 295: “One day is assigned for the celebration of the martyrdom of the two apostles. But those two were one. Although their martyrdom occurred on different days, they were one.” Thus it is clear that the celebration is of ancient origin.

Clearly from the earliest days, the Church has recognized them jointly. As St. Augustine continued in his Sermon, “And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.” Saints Peter and Paul – each in their own unique way – made the choice, decided for Christ, and set out on mission to make the Good News known to the world. 2,000 years later we remember and honor them.

Icon from “Christ Between Saints Peter and Paul” | Pietro Lorenzetti, ca. 1320 | Ferens Art Gallery, Hull England | PD-US

Apostles Together

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Most of the apostles and lots of saints have their own feast day, but how about the two most famous saints of the early church? There is February 22nd in which the Church celebrates the “Chair of Peter” the sign that Peter was the first among the apostles and the one designated to lead the early Church after Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension. But there is no “Feast of St. Peter.”

St. Paul, although not one of the Twelve, was an Apostle commissioned by Jesus. There is the January 25th celebration of “The Conversion of St. Paul” which commemorates the Damascus Road episode described in Acts of the Apostles: 9:1-31, 22:1-22, and 26:9-24. It is the scene made famous by the “Conversion on the Way to Damascus” painting by Caravaggio. But there is no “Feast of St. Paul.”

The two leading saints of the early Church are celebrated together in the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul as they are the founders of the See of Rome, through their preaching, ministry and martyrdom there. This celebration is a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul and is observed on June 29th – without declaring that to be the day of their deaths. St. Augustine of Hippo (late 4th century) says in his Sermon 295: “One day is assigned for the celebration of the martyrdom of the two apostles. But those two were one. Although their martyrdom occurred on different days, they were one.” Thus it is clear that the celebration is of ancient origin.

Clearly from the earliest days, the Church has recognized them jointly. As St. Augustine continued in his Sermon, “And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.” Saints Peter and Paul – each in their own unique way – made the choice, decided for Christ, and set out on mission to make the Good News known to the world. 2,000 years later we remember and honor them.

Most of the apostles and lots of saints have their own feast day, but how about the two most famous saints of the early church? There is February 22nd in which the Church celebrates the “Chair of Peter” the sign that Peter was the first among the apostles and the one designated to lead the early Church after Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension. But there is no “Feast of St. Peter.”

St. Paul, although not one of the Twelve, was an Apostle commissioned by Jesus. There is the January 25th celebration of “The Conversion of St. Paul” which commemorates the Damascus Road episode described in Acts of the Apostles: 9:1-31, 22:1-22, and 26:9-24. It is the scene made famous by the “Conversion on the Way to Damascus” painting by Caravaggio. But there is no “Feast of St. Paul.”

The two leading saints of the early Church are celebrated together in the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul as they are the founders of the See of Rome, through their preaching, ministry and martyrdom there. This celebration is a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul and is observed on June 29th – without declaring that to be the day of their deaths. St. Augustine of Hippo (late 4th century) says in his Sermon 295: “One day is assigned for the celebration of the martyrdom of the two apostles. But those two were one. Although their martyrdom occurred on different days, they were one.” Thus it is clear that the celebration is of ancient origin.

Clearly from the earliest days, the Church has recognized them jointly. As St. Augustine continued in his Sermon, “And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.” Saints Peter and Paul – each in their own unique way – made the choice, decided for Christ, and set out on mission to make the Good News known to the world. 2,000 years later we remember and honor them.

Icon from “Christ Between Saints Peter and Paul” | Pietro Lorenzetti, ca. 1320 | Ferens Art Gallery, Hull England

A New Phase

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The Sunday to come is the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time in Liturgical Year A. Since the middle of chapter 4 we have been witnesses to how Jesus faithfully carries out his commission from the Father. On some occasions Jesus’ words carried the message: Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7) or the Missionary Discourse (Mt 10). At other times the message was conveyed via actions (Mt 8-9).

Throughout Matthew 10 Jesus has been preparing his disciples for mission. He commissioned the Twelve for the special role in the mission. He instructed them to remain within the borders of Galilee, and warned them about the opposition they would experience from family, religious leaders, and secular rulers – yet he urged them to not be afraid. Jesus also gave them a sense of the reward and promises to those who believed and were faithful in their endeavors of evangelization. “When Jesus finished giving these commands to his twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.” (Mt 11:1)

This marks a transition from the Missionary Discourse into a new section of Matthew’s narrative. It also serves as a “geographical marker” relocating Jesus to a new place, a literary device Matthew also employs to indicate a shift to a new section. We are entering a new phase in Jesus’ mission to “the lost sheep of Israel.” The opening verse describes the mission of teaching and preaching and serves as a reasonable summary of Jesus’ mission. Interestingly it only describes Jesus in mission. After an entire chapter dedicated to the preparation of the Twelve, their efforts are not mentioned. We are not told anything about what happened during their mission or if they even went. There is no mention of a return or any reports of success or failure. Matthew 12 indicates that they are still traveling with Jesus. The only time we hear of any of the disciples operating independently of Jesus is in 17:16, where it was not a success. It will be only after Jesus’ resurrection (28:19–20) that Matthew’s narrative indicates the Twelve and other disciples will operate on their own in a consistent manner.

Image credit: Pexels via Canva, CC 0