By Cliff Garvey

There’s an old folk tale about Saint Peter and a man who lived near a river. The man heard a radio report that the river would soon rise and flood the entire town; and that all residents should evacuate their homes. But the man said: “I am religious. I pray. God loves me. God will protect me.” Soon enough, the waters began to rise and to surround the town. A man in a boat rowed up and shouted: “Hey, the town is flooding! Come with me! I will take you safely away from here!” But the man shouted back: “I am religious. I pray. God loves me. God will protect me.”

The waters then rose higher and came closer to the man’s house. A helicopter appeared overhead. Through a megaphone, the pilot shouted: “Hey, the town is flooding! Come with me! I will drop a ladder and take you safely away from here!” But again, the man shouted back: “I am religious. I pray. God loves me. God will protect me.” The waters then rose even higher. The town flooded. The man was drowned in his house.

Suddenly, that same man stood at the gates of heaven. He shouted at Saint Peter: “I was religious. I prayed. I believed that God loved me. I believed that God would protect me. Why did God let this happen?” Saint Peter looked knowingly at the man and said: “Why are you here? God sent you a radio report, a rowboat, and a helicopter. What more could you want from him?”

This story illustrates the folly of human life. We pray. We believe. We go to Mass. We volunteer. We give what we can to our home parish and our favorite charity. We think we’re covered. But the road to heaven is sometimes flooded by addiction, anxiety, family concerns, finances, health problems, stress, traffic, work, and on and on and on. All too often, it seems like our daily concerns and worries are like a rising river that threatens to wash away all that is good and holy in our lives.

Do we ever stop and think about the blessings that God offers us every day? Do we ever stop and think about those moments that bend our lives toward heaven? Do we ever pause and consider the holiness of the kind word, the helping hand, or the sunny day that warms the heart, brightens the spirit, and gives us the courage to carry on?

God gives us the means to our salvation: the Gospels, the Holy Mass, the Holy Rosary, the Sacrament of the Sick, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God gives us the writings of the Church Fathers, the sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and the lives of the Saints and Doctors of the Church. There are Catholic television networks and Catholic websites. There is even a Catholic radio station. Hundreds of good books about our shared faith and spirituality are published every single year. There is the boundless goodwill and generosity of the parishioner who sits beside us each weekend at Mass. And lest we forget, there are the fruits of our own humble prayers.

Each day, God calls to us from radios, rowboats, and helicopters. He calls to us from computer screens and television screens. He calls to us from heaven — from the communion of saints and the choir of angels. He calls to us from pulpits and through the smiles and good works of our neighbors. Are we paying attention? Are we listening for God’s voice? Are we accepting God’s gifts? Are we acting on God’s abundant grace in our lives? What more could we want from him?

As we celebrate the Feast of Saint Peter (on June 29th), let us pray for the discernment to be more mindful of God’s blessings. Let us pray for the grace to give thanks for God’s blessings each and every day. Let us pray for the courage to respond with love to God’s blessings in all that we think, say, and do. Let us pray for the man who drowned in the flood. Let us pray that Saint Peter will never be forced to ask us what he asked the man who believed in God but failed to listen for God’s voice. And as a people united in prayer, fellowship, and service, let us pray together:

Holy Apostle, Saint Peter,
you are the Rock upon which
Almighty God built his Church.
Obtain for us, we pray:
a lively faith, firm hope, and burning love,
detachment from ourselves,
resignation from the world,
patience in adversity,
humility in prosperity,
perseverance in prayer,
purity of mind and heart,
and diligence in fulfilling
the responsibilities in our daily lives.

Holy Apostle, Saint Peter,
obtain for us, we pray:
constancy in our resolutions
and determination in our good works,
so that by your prayers and merits,
we may be worthy to appear
before the Poor Christ,
the Eternal Shepherd of Souls,
who lives and reigns
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
now and always, forever and ever. Amen.

Saint Peter the Apostle, pray for us!
Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us!

About the Author

Cliff Garvey is a co-founder of the Assisi Project. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine, Saint John Seminary College, and the Catholic University of America. Cliff is a writer, spiritual director, retreat leader, and university lecturer. He also serves as Associate Minister of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport in Massachusetts where his ministry focuses on adult faith formation. Thank you for listening to Saint Peter’s Question. The Assisi Project Podcast is produced by the Assisi Project, Inc. For more information about the Assisi Project: A Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit and our programs and ministries for adults of all ages and backgrounds, please contact Cliff Garvey at cgarvey@assisiproject.com. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. May the Lord give you peace!

Art Credit: Photo 26020512 | Josef Kubes | Dreamstime.com

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About Us

Founded in 2007, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers throughout the world. We are dedicated to helping Christian believers of all ages more faithfully live the Gospel of Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. The Assisi Project is a non-profit, tax exempt charitable organization. All are welcome to support our ministry via PayPal (see link below); or by sending a tax-deductible donation to the Assisi Project, Post Office Box 3158, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01931-3158. For more information about the Assisi Project, please contact Cliff Garvey at cgarvey@assisiproject.com. May the Lord give you peace!

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