Just a couple of weeks ago, I attended my friend Sean’s ordination to the priesthood. I was overwhelmed by just how beautiful the whole experience was, and I was struck by the eternal nature of the whole ceremony. They say that when you’re ordained a priest, you’re a priest forever (like for all eternity).
This got me thinking. In heaven, we’ll be able to see all those men who have been ordained to the royal priesthood from my friend Sean to St. Peter himself. This is a very cool reflection in my mind.
There are many things I adore regarding Mother Church, but one of the things that fires me up the most is the primacy of St. Peter and the ability to trace our Bishops all the way back to the twelve apostles. Additionally, Peter is one of my absolute favorite characters in all of Scripture which is why I was so inspired to come up with this list of 7 Times St. Peter Was an Absolute Boss.
7 Times St. Peter Was an Absolute Boss
Walked on water (Matthew 14:22-32)
Most people are familiar with the story of Jesus walking on water, but one of my favorite parts of that story is when Christ calls out to Peter to do the same. For a moment, Peter stepped out of the boat and began to walk on water, but as soon as he took his eyes off of Christ, he began to sink and needed Christ to save him. Peter was flawed like the rest of us, but there was something remarkable about his trust in Christ that enables him to step out of the boat in the first place.
Who Do You Say That I Am (Matthew 16:13-20)
I dig this passage. Jesus posed this question to his disciples, “Who do you say that I Am?” This question is key for all of us to answer if we want to have a personal relationship with Christ. Peter, in true boss fashion, led the way for all of us and proclaims through the power of the Holy Spirit the answer that removed all doubt as to the person of Jesus, “You are the Christ, Son of the living God.
And Jesus obviously felt Peter’s answer was boss worthy too because in the next instant He gave Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Casted His Nets (Luke 5:1-11)
This story is classic Peter. Christ told him to put out into the deep and let down his nets for a catch. With his expertise as a fisherman backing him, Peter told Jesus that he had been fishing all night and caught nothing. However, Peter knew that there was something different about Jesus, so he obliged and had a huge moment of conversion. Peter didn’t always get it right the first time, but he loved the Lord dearly which is evident through his example of following through with what the Lord asks of him in Scripture.
Swam to Christ (John 21:1-14)
After the Resurrection, Peter and the disciples went back to fishing. Jesus showed up on the beach, but the Apostles didn’t recognize Him until He told them to throw their nets to the other side. When they did, they caught so many fish that their nets nearly broke. John was the first person to recognize that it was Jesus on the beach, but it was Peter who immediately dove into the water and swam to shore to see Christ for himself. Like I said, Peter didn’t always get it right the first time, but his love for Jesus is something that I cannot help but be moved by every time I read about his fervor in Scripture.
Healed a lame beggar (Acts 3:1-10)
Peter was walking to the temple when he noticed a man who was lame and begging for money. He looked at the man square in the eye and boldly proclaimed, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” The man was immediately healed and people come to believe in Christ as a result of this miracle.
He literally walked out of a Jail (Acts 12: 1-18)
In the twelfth chapter of Acts, Peter found himself in what we would call today a “maximum security cell.” However, in the middle of the night and angel appeared and literally walked with Peter out of the jail. The whole time Peter thought it was a dream! When he was out of the prison, instead of going into hiding because he technically just broke out of jail, he rallied with James and the other disciples to continue preaching and proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Crucified Upside Down
Peter’s love was tested in the most intense way. During the persecution of the early Church, St. Peter was captured and sentenced to death as the first pope. They elected to crucify Peter for his “crimes”, but Peter boldly asked if they could crucify him upside-down because he was unworthy even to die in the same manner as the Lord. This is just further proof that Peter was an absolute boss in every respect.
The reason St. Peter jumps out at me in scripture is because he’s so unassuming (here’s the best resource I’ve found to learn more about him). He has a working-class background, and he’s inherently flawed, yet Jesus chose him to be the first pope and lead the early Church. Peter is the example of what holiness actually looks like and someone who we can all strive to emulate. The story of Peter’s life is filled with triumphs as well as mistakes. The key lesson for us is that Peter allowed himself to be forgiven by Christ and never stopped loving the Lord. He is a person who we can look to who needed the Lord’s mercy just like the rest of us. As a result of receiving the Lord’s mercy, he was compelled to share that love, mercy, and hope with everyone he encountered. Moral of this story: St. Peter is an absolute boss!
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