387 part ii: meditations for more solemn feasts Consider that the Lord gave with these words a supreme power, indeed nearly a divine power, to St. Peter as well as to his legitimate successors and even to each priest. Since the forgiveness of sins belongs to God alone, who would not consider it divine that St. Peter, as well as his successors and their coworkers, can remit sins, or not remit themwhenever they decide that they should not be remitted. Indeed, in this way God left it to their decision, nearly committing Himself entirely to them: what they wanted here, He would want in Heaven; what they decided in the world would be confirmed and fixed in the council of the Divine Trinity; and the contrary. Oh, how foolish, tactless, and miserable are those who make it a pleasure to slander, attack, and deride the priests, their life and conduct, and to treat with disregard those to whom God granted the highest power of loosing and binding! As for you, learn and desire to venerate them as heavenly beings, and even more. 3. Consider the circumstances of the apostles from today’s Gospel, before their vocation. Namely: one was a fisherman, the other, a persecutor. Nevertheless (O God’s goodness, wisdom, and design!), out of Saul He made Paul, a vessel of election (cf. Acts 9:15), Teacher of Pagans, a great Apostle; and out of the other, a fisher of men (cf. Mt 4:19; Mk 1:17), the rock of the Church (cf. Mt 16:18), the Prince of the Apostolic Senate, and the gatekeeper of Heaven. He attracted Paul with the bands of love (cf. Hos 11:4); He strengthened Peter with the grace of a renewed calling. He charged both with the task of converting the most powerful princes of the world, the most eminent nobles, and the greatest sinners. He appointed each of the two, a Prince over the whole earth. Thus, God really chooses what is weak in order to confound the strong (cf. 1 Cor 1:27). Apply this to yourself, realizing that an equal generosity was shown to you, both in your religious vocation and in your reception of today’s Holy Communion.
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