Tonight we celebrate the memorial of these great figures of our Church, Saint Peter, who was the first bishop of our Church. And Saint Paul, who was the great missionary to the Gentiles who took the Word of God, not just meant for the Jewish people, the chosen people, but meant for the world. And Paul sent the Word of God on that journey where it has come down through the ages to all of us.

Now in the letters of Paul, we read about his life, his challenges, his events. And, of course, every generation since has had their own trials, their own obstacles, their own things to stand up and overcome. And, of course, we have our own.

A very important cause, a very important moment in my diocese and truly across the nation is reconciliation. How do we dismantle the colonial past that have hurt so many people, not just in this country, but around the world, and particular to Canada, how do we reconcile with our Indigenous brothers and sisters? How do we look at what the Church has done in the name of the Gospel, which has caused hurt to so many people, destroyed so many families, disrupted so much culture, language and tradition?

The first thing I think I would say to each and every one of you is that we are all called into this mission.

Peter and Paul, who were not the most likely candidates to be disciples, to be apostles of Jesus. Peter, who became bishop of the Church, began as a fisherman. He knew how to fish, but aside from that, his theology was not great.

Today in the Gospel, we find Jesus asking Peter a question, and Peter nails it. Peter finally catches on. He has finally grown, and his maturity has come to know his Lord. And he understands that Jesus truly is the Son of the living God.

Paul was the very least likely candidate to be a follower of Jesus. In fact, Paul was in the exact opposite direction. Paul was a Pharisee, a part of a Jewish sect that was out to eradicate Christianity.

But even in Paul, God found a candidate that He could work with.

Paul's vision, Paul's personality, Paul's enthusiasm, Paul's zeal was everything that God needed to begin to spread the message of the good news around. He just had to capture Paul's heart and Paul's imagination. And then Paul would do the rest with God's help.

If you read Paul's letters closely, if you see how his heart expands, the more he travels, the more he meets different peoples and cultures. You begin to see that his mind and heart are open to what the world has to offer. And he knows that he must engage the world from a place of love if he's to engage at all.

We spend so much time trying to figure out what we believe that we often forget to ask others what they think. Saint Paul had this gift. And it allowed him to see other perspectives and allowed him to open his eyes to the way other people think.

He said, “Let us share our culture. See if what I say to you speaks to you. Does it touch your heart the way my heart has been touched?” That's the true missionary approach.

And I've recognized this as a missionary bishop in the Northwest Territories, where so many cultures received Christian missionaries and were forced to change through the way the missionaries did things. Nobody stopped and looked. Nobody reflected and learned.

If we did more like what Paul did, things would have looked very different. And I'm very glad to say that over many years, over much trial and error, some of the things that were taken away are now coming back. The people are taking pride in their own languages. We're using their first languages in our liturgies. The drums, which were once banned, are now taking centre stage at many of our rituals.

I have to say, in the places where I have worked in the North, even the Christians are getting along. It's not that many years ago that the Anglicans and the Catholics were in competition for souls. Two schools in every community. One you went to. One you didn't go to.

But today we speak to one another. We learn from one another.

In the letter to the Corinthians, we hear Saint Paul say we're all part of one body. We each have our role to play. Some have to do this and some have to do that. But without our cooperation with one another, nothing gets done. And when we work together, everyone's load is lightened and we become one body in Christ.

And when I look at the many beautiful faces in this congregation, I think about Paul talking about unity in diversity. There is no Jew or Greek, no slave or free. When we put on the garment of Christ, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.

Saint Paul would be so proud of you to see what his missionary preaching had accomplished. Saint Peter would feel right at home with you. And I know Saint Francis. Saint Francis? Pope Francis would also feel at home here at Saint Patrick. You have so much to be proud of.

You simply have to continue to work together to see in one another the face of Jesus and know that you're all brothers and sisters of the same Lord. To know that you're sons and daughters of God, then Mary, our Mother of Perpetual Help, is your mother. And she wants to help you in every way possible.

So I ask her to bless you. I ask her to keep you. I ask her to bring your prayers before her Son so that he will hear you and answer you. And I ask God to bless you in his name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.