June 29—Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles
It is rare when a saint gets more than one day in the
liturgical calendar. The Blessed Virgin
Mary has numerous feast days throughout the year. St. John the Baptist has two days and St.
Joseph has two days, but Sts. Peter and Paul have three each, including one day
for the both of them. Their importance
in the early Church forever links them together. They both died in Rome during the persecution
of the emperor, Nero. Before that, they
both worked together to bring Christianity to the Gentiles as shown in the Acts
of the Apostles at the Council of Jerusalem.
Both wrote epistles, Peter had two, Paul had 13. They were both apostles, Peter as one of the
original twelve and Paul as one specially chosen by Jesus when he was on the
road to Damascus. They are the main
protagonists in the Acts of the Apostles, Peter in the first part and Paul in
the second.
Both Peter and Paul shared in the ministry of spreading the
Good News of Jesus Christ. Peter was the
leader of the entire Church community, the shepherd appointed by Jesus to watch
over his flock. Paul was the founder of
numerous communities in Asia Minor and Greece, including most of the places to
whom he wrote epistles.
When portrayed in art, Peter is often shown as holding keys,
recalling the passage from Mt. 16:19—“I will give you the keys to the kingdom
of heaven.” This symbolized the role of
Peter as pope, the one who is the visible sign of the unity of the Church. Paul is often portrayed in art with a sword,
which is how he was martyred, or a book, symbolizing his letters in the New
Testament.
Both Peter and Paul are essential for us today. Peter’s role as shepherd-pope reminds us of
the importance of the Magisterium and the need to follow its teaching. Paul’s role as missionary-letter writer
reminds us of the importance of Scripture and Tradition in following
Jesus. Both remind us of the importance
of witnessing to the faith in Jesus.
Since both were martyred in Rome, Peter, according to tradition on an
upside-down cross, and Paul by beheading, this shows the primacy of Rome and
her bishop, the pope, in leading the Church throughout the world.
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