Cycle A - Year I:  

29 June 2023: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles 

(Liturgical Color: Red)

Readings:

First Reading:        Acts 12:1-11

Second Reading:   2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

Gospel:  Please Read  Matthew 16:13-19 

The Pillars of the Catholic Church!

St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles, were great leaders in the 'infant" Church. And these two men had a profound impact on the early Church.

June 29, and a Thursday this year, is the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. These two great apostles are the pillars of our Christian faith. The tradition of celebrating their solemnity on the same day dates back to the year 258. These two great saints are regarded as the founder of the See of Rome through their teaching ministry and eventual martyrdom there. On their Feast Day, red is the liturgical color to honor their martyrdom for the Christian faith.

What are their important roles in the Catholic Church and in our Christian faith?

St, Peter:  He was Simon and a fisherman from Galilee. Jesus changed his name to Cephas (or Petrus in Latin), which means "rock" because he was to become the rock upon which Christ would build His Church. We read in the Acts of the Apostles Peter's role as the head of the Church after the Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, he is considered as the first Pope and assured that the disciples kept the true faith handed down by Christ Himself to His followers to our generation.

Despite his shortcomings, as we read in the Scriptures, Peter was anointed and appointed by our Lord Jesus to head His Church. The best thing about Peter was he would repent or be sorry for the wrongs he has committed. He had the inner power to right his wrongs.  

Peter spent his last years in Rome leading the Church through persecutions and eventually his martyrdom in the year c. 64 under Nero. At his own request, Peter was crucified upside-down because he claimed not worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord Jesus. Peter has a brother named Andrew, who was also among the first Apostles.

Saint Paul:  He is known as the Apostle of the Gentiles, or non-Jews, and was a late convert to Christianity. Paul was a prolific writer and his letters are included in the writings of the New Testament, through which we hear much about his life and the faith of the early Church.

Paul was originally "Saul", a Jewish-Pharisee who zealously persecuted the early Christians in Jerusalem. On his way to Damascus to persecute the Christian community there, our Lord Jesus appeared to him to stop his planned persecution and eventually Paul became a disciple himself of Jesus.

Upon his conversion, Saul took the name of Paul and spent the remainder of his life preaching the Gospel tirelessly to the Gentiles of the Mediterranean world. He was imprisoned and taken to Rome, where he was beheaded in the year c. 67.

Gospel Reflection:  The Gospel reading on their Feast Day is taken from Matthew (16:13-19) which is about the "confession" of Peter about who Jesus is.  Jesus tests His disciples with a critical question: "Who do people say that I am and who do you say that I am?"    

It was Peter who acclaimed that He was "the Christ, the Son of the living God!"  Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly is, and was the first apostle to recognize Jesus as the Anointed One (meaning the Messiah and Christ), the only begotten Son of God.

As we celebrate today the great Feast of the two Apostles, made holy for us by their blood of martyrdom, let us embrace what Peter and Paul believed, their life, their labors, their preaching, their confession of faith, and their sufferings for the faith.

With the strong foundation formed by Peter and Paul, the Church of Christ has been able to withstand the storms that had rocked it during early years of the Catholic Church.

Let us also learn from Peter and Paul that despite our human shortcomings, we are still invited by God to serve Him and His Church throughout the world. God is not distracted by our human shortcomings and weaknesses because He accepts us the way He created us. But God reminds us to always seek forgiveness when we wrong others and Him and also forgive others who may wrong us, too.

Happy Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles and Martyrs. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!