Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
And Peter was imprisoned, bound with chains. Acts 12:5
Like tyrannical narcissists who fancy themselves as god-like throughout the human story, Herod thought he was in control of history itself, or at least as far as Caesar permitted him. Claiming God like powers, he believed that he could stamp out a new strange branch of Judaism—the followers of a crucified messiah. Already he had martyred James, the son of Zebedee and brother of John. But he did not realize he was opposing the will of the one true God.
For Herod, Peter was next to be killed. Having been arrested, the “Rock” was imprisoned, awaiting his demise. “This is way too easy,” the mad king must have thought in his megalomania But God had plans for Peter that were not to be tampered with. Today’s reading from Acts tells the tale of Peter’s dramatic release from prison through divine intercession.
The cathedral church of our Archdiocese is the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in Cincinnati. It is a magnificent church. Built under the direction of Archbishop John Baptist Purcell, the cornerstone was laid in 1841. Unkept for decades, it was demoted as a parish church in 1938. Archbishop Karl Alter rescued and restored it back to the mother church of our Archdiocese in 1957.
The cathedral features a massive glass mosaic (the biggest in the world) of scenes from the life of St. Peter with the words, “Et Petrus Quidem Servatur in Carcere Vinctus Catenis”: “And Peter was imprisoned bound with chains,” found in our first reading. This alone is worth a pilgrimage to our Cathedral Church.
The kingdom of the Herods effectively ended with the death of Herod Agrippa in 44 CE. The Church built by Jesus on the rock of Peter has endured for two thousand years and has spread to the ends of the earth. There will be Herods in every time and place but ultimately they fail. Always.
As Paul reminds us in our reading from 2 Timothy, “The Lord will rescue every evil threat and make me safe...” Let us hold on to this truth when life is filled with struggles and disappointments that tell us otherwise. Let us hold on especially tight when cruelty and prejudice from a mad “king” seemingly wins out. Vainglory is just that — “vain” and destined to fail.
Peter and Paul knew God’s guiding (and often unexpected) hand, in particular when all seemed lost. Evil cruelty, division and hate will not have the last word. May we remain confident in this truth.
—Timothy J. Cronin