A few weeks ago Cardinal Tagle made the point that a church that is not missionary will stagnate. It will stagnate and eventually die. It may preserve tradition, carry out rituals, and speak beautiful words – but without mission, it loses its heart and soul. The Church lives only when it goes out, when it steps into the mess of the world to bring light, healing, and truth.
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul – two extraordinary lives that reveal the missionary nature of the Church. Different in almost every way – their background, their personality, their calling – yet united in one mission: to proclaim Christ to the world.
Peter, the fisherman from Galilee – was down-to-earth, impulsive, and yet full of heart. Paul, the scholar from Tarsus – was sharp-minded, fiery, and relentless in his drive.
Peter preached mainly to the Jews; Paul to the Gentiles. Peter was the rock – declaring Jesus as the Christ and chosen by Jesus to anchor the Church. Paul was the fire – breaking barriers, crossing cultures, carrying the Gospel to the very edges of the known world.
Peter laid the foundation. Paul extended the reach. Both said “yes” to Jesus – and both would give their lives for that “yes.” Both died as martyrs.
That “yes” finds its echo in today’s Gospel. Jesus asks a defining question, not in a quiet synagogue or peaceful hillside, but significantly in Caesarea Philippi – a centre of pagan worship, spiritual confusion, and worldly power. Shrines to false gods surrounded them. Caesar’s name was etched on everything. And right there, Jesus asks: “Who do you say that I am?”
It’s a deliberate choice of setting. Jesus chooses the noise and falsehoods of the world to declare the Church’s purpose: to stand where the world most needs truth. To be founded not in comfort, but in conflict. Not behind walls, but on the frontline of human longing and human searching.
Peter answers Jesus’ question: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” With that proclamation, the Church takes its first breath. Jesus replies: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” That line is often misunderstood. It’s not about the Church being protected while hell attacks.
It’s the opposite. Gates are defensive structures – Jesus is describing a Church on the move, advancing into places of darkness, tearing down the gates of hell with the light of the Gospel.
A Church that is not missionary stagnates. But a Church that moves, that witnesses, that proclaims – that church lives, that is who we are called to be.
Peter and Paul challenge us to be more than passive disciples. They call us to be bold witnesses, not content with comfort or silence. Their lives remind us that following Jesus is costly. It requires courage, perseverance, and sacrifice. But it also fills life with a purpose and joy that the world cannot offer.
In these times, we, too, we live in a kind of Caesarea Philippi. Confusion, noise, and idolatry aren’t just ancient problems – they’re here today in our homes, our workplaces, our schools, and in our streets. These problems are evident in social media, consumerism, power struggles, and spiritual apathy. This where the Church needs to be.
This is where we are sent to bring Peter’s confession: “You are the Christ.” And Paul’s passion: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” Peter and Paul were very different. One denied Christ. One persecuted Christians. Yet God used both. That tells us something important: God does not wait for perfect people. He calls us, then He uses whatever gifts and talents we have to help bring about His kingdom in the here and now.
What matters is our “yes,” our willingness to step out of the boat like Peter, or to turn completely around like Paul.
Today, we are the ones being asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Our answer cannot be words alone. It must be a life that bears witness – in our relationships, our work, our values, and our courage to go where Christ sends us.
Our mission field is not just faraway places. It is in our families, our neighbourhood, our classrooms, our workplace. It’s to the people that we avoid, perhaps: the colleague who challenges our patience, the stranger who needs kindness, the young person searching for direction, the elderly person longing to be remembered. It’s wherever Christ is not yet known or where His love has grown dim.
You may never preach to crowds or write letters that echo through the ages, but you are a missionary. You can bring Christ to others – through your listening ear, your honest word, your act of mercy, your quiet courage, your faith shared in everyday moments.
Peter and Paul remind us that the Church does not grow while in maintenance mode, but by mission. Not by staying put, but by being sent – and the same Spirit who empowered them is given to us. That Spirit is alive in each one of us.
So, on this feast of Saints Peter and Paul, let us recommit ourselves to the missionary heart of the Church. Let us say our own courageous “yes” – to stand with Peter in proclaiming, “You are the Christ,” and with Paul in declaring, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel” – because Christ still asks the question: “Who do you say that I am?”
And the world is still waiting to hear – not just our answer, but to see our lives proclaim it.