Peter points the Way

Peter is the person to whom we are drawn to think about by the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The passage from the Book of Acts shows the faith, the trust in the Transcendent Presence of God, Peter was witness to as he acted to make Jesus present as healer in "word and sign". Friar Jude Winkler comments on the way the Sacraments present Jesus today to the faithful.  The faith of Peter is contrasted with our sense of "faithfulness to a relationship" in which Peter showed failure as he denied his association with Jesus during the events of Good Friday. The distinction between faith and faithfulness is important for us to note as we journey toward holiness. The Gospel of John declares that it is the will of the Father that we grow both in faith and faithfulness. John, according to Friar Jude, does not often portray Peter in a great light, yet in this passage, the simple, impetuous, distracted one declares the truth which resonates with those called by the Spirit "To whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life!" (John 6:68)