First Letter of Peter

After the letter of James, in the series of Catholic Letters, we find the First Letter of Peter. It is a fascinating and lively text that the apostle Peter sent as an encyclical to the Christians who lived in the regions of Anatolia, what is today Turkey. We could almost call it the first encyclical, the first letter that the bishop of Rome sends to the Christians scattered throughout the world.

At the end of the letter, Peter says he wrote through Silvanus. This detail is important. Silvanus is another name for the person known to the Acts of the Apostles by the name Silas, a Christian from Jerusalem, very knowledgeable in the Scriptures, a colleague of Paul's in Rome, in the early sixties, was also a co-worker of Peter. It was probably this Silas or Silvanus who put in writing Peter's preaching, collecting the main themes of his homilies and sending them to the Christians of the East.

Since the insistence of these sermons focuses above all on the newness of the Christian life, on the commitment of rebirth, and the journey in newness of life, they are thought to be baptismal sermons, that is, sermons that the apostle Peter gave to the Christians who lived in the East. They are thought to be baptismal homilies, i.e., sermons that the apostle Peter gave to the Christians who were preparing for baptism, the catechumens or those who had just received baptism, the neophytes. A series of baptismal catechesis became the occasion for this text.

Another important theme that emerges is the invitation to endure persecution. It should be noted that in the year 64, the apostle Peter will die a martyr under Nero and a great number of Christians, as the historian Tacitus wrote. The letter was written a few years before, we could say in the year 62, and Peter invites the new Christians to have the courage to face difficulties, knowing that they will encounter persecution. He comes to speak, paradoxically, of the blessedness of the one who suffers and is persecuted.

An important detail of the text is the reflection on the image of the rock, and, logically, Peter has this image for it is written in his name. It is a good reminder of how the Lord Jesus, in his earthly life, changed his name Simon and called him Peter, in Aramaic, 'Kephas' (rock) to emphasize that he was a rock; he was constituted as the rock on which Christ would build the Church. Peter brought with him this idea, this image, and enlarged it by proposing the same image, the same comparison to others. We read in chapter 2 this homily, which we imagine was delivered to the neophytes, that is, to the newly baptized, to the people who had just been baptized.

"Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, insincerity, envy, and all slander" (put all this aside; take off your old clothes and put on the white baptismal habit; this is only a rite; the reality must be a change of style). "As like newborn infants” (although they are grown people, they are newborn). (As newborn infants, they cry for milk), so you "long for pure spiritual milk (unadulterated), so that through it you may grow into salvation, for you have tasted that the Lord is good.” Through baptism, they have become part of the life of Christ, but they have yet to grow.

Baptism is not everything; it's just the beginning; the infants are there when it's born, but they have to grow, they have to take milk, and then solid food to become an adult, mature person. So, ‘you who have just been born into the Christian life, need to walk, grow to maturity, and pure spiritual milk is the teaching, the formation, the catechesis that comes from listening to the word of God.’ In ancient times, the moment of baptism also coincided with the participation in the Eucharist. 'You have tasted how good the Lord is; continue to taste his Word.' "Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.”

The living stone is Christ; it's an exciting image; Christ is the stone, and not simply the rock, but the great rock mass, solid foundation. Christ is the foundation. 'You have been placed under him; then, holding him who is a living stone (it is a reference to the risen Lord, to his new existence), you also, not only I –says Peter– ‘hold fast to him, hold fast to this foundation stone; you too are stones; each of you, in turn, can be a building stone, but only if you cling to him who is the living stone.’ You also "like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.” The foundation stone, which is Jesus, was rejected by people; it is a verse of a psalm that Jesus himself used and then the apostles used it in their catechesis: "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the cornerstone; here is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes."

The religious authorities of Jerusalem rejected that stone which was Jesus, but God rescued it and placed it as the foundation of the new temple, of the new spiritual building. But one stone is not enough. To build a house, that foundation stone is needed, and many others are also required. ‘You are those stones, one by one, all together are used for the construction of a spiritual building, “to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

This is another important theme that the apostle Peter develops: You are not only part of the building of the temple; you are the new priesthood; you are a priestly group, a living organism of priests.' Peter is speaking of the baptismal priesthood. Precisely, by baptism every Christian united to Christ partakes of his priestly quality which is the capacity to mediate between God and people and between people and God; to offer sacrifices, no longer objects, animals, but your life. The spiritual sacrifice is the offering of one's existence through the Spirit.

In this sense you also become living stones, you are priests of this new cult, you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own.” These are words taken from the book of Exodus, in chapter 19, the Lord spoke to Moses about the people of Israel. Here there is an application of universality; not only the people of Israel, but all peoples, united to Israel, who are now part of the Church, have become the chosen people. They are the people whom God has "acquired so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were ‘no people’ but now you are God’s people; you ‘had not received mercy’ but now you have received mercy.” This time Peter refers to the text of the prophet Hosea, with the change of names of the sons; the neophytes are not of the people but are beloved. 'You Romans, foreigners, pagans who were out of the promises now, instead, you have entered, you are part of the people, you have become the object of God's mercy.’

This is the catechesis with which Peter educates those who have just become Christians. He stresses that they are the object of God's mercy and puts them on their guard that they are not to be set aside. 'However, do not imagine that everything will be all right and everything is going to be easy. Keep in mind the example of Christ. Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his footsteps.'

And here we find a splendid text, a kind of lyrical poem that presents the paradigm of Christ. He is the model; he is the suffering Christ, model of the neophyte; one begins to resemble Christ, but they have to be clear about what it means to resemble Christ. "He has left you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

This time Peter refers to the text of Isaiah, to the great poem of the Suffering Servant. The wounds of another have healed us. This is beyond logic. The wound of one, of another, heals me. It is the paradox of the cross: he was wounded so that I might be healed. "For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”

The word "guardian" in Greek is 'episcopos,' which we still use, for example, ‘Episcopal Conference.’ Here the title applies to Christ, who is the shepherd and bishop of our souls. He is the one who keeps us and yet he does not exempt us from difficulties. He has left us the example. He has taught us to go through suffering. He gives us the strength—Peter says—to go through this suffering. "Now who is going to harm you if you are enthusiastic for what is good?" But it is not always safe. "But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you.” It's a strong text, a bit exaggerated: 'If you happen to suffer without having done anything wrong, in fact, acting for the sake of righteousness, because you have done good, you are fortunate.’ “Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope."

This is another beautiful piece of advice that the apostle Peter addresses to the newly baptized. You have hope; therefore, be ready to give reasons for this hope, to explain why you are so convinced of what you are doing. When others don't understand you or criticize you or make fun of you or persecute you be prepared to give reasons for your expectations and hopes,' "but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear”, not with arrogance, with an attitude of superiority, but with gentleness and respect, “so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.”

In Rome there were many calumnies against the Christians; they were accused of infamous sins; ignorance played in favor of these accusations and, therefore, those who adhered to the Christian Church had to defend themselves from incoherent accusations. When ignorance dominates public opinion, spreading certain rumors, you end up being considered guilty without being so. While they slander you, knowing them, finding them, hearing them talking and seeing how you live should be ashamed; they should realize that everything is unfounded. "Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you. But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ.” Another important underlining: you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ, and so neither rejoice nor grieve.

"Blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let no one among you be made to suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer. But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name.” And, in the end, there is an appeal to the community leaders, to the priests: “I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock.”

Peter has entered into the role of the shepherd; he is the rock that continues the work of the stone, the shepherd that continues the work of the shepherd and exhorts the Christians to be living stones and to the leaders of the community to be good shepherds, like Christ. "And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” He concludes by saying: "I write you this briefly through Silvanus," 'so that the sermons which I preached in Rome to the newly baptized may be useful also to the Christians scattered throughout the world.'

And they are still helpful also for us, who are not neophytes but still need to grow to reach the maturity of Christ.