This coming Saturday, June 29, we celebrate the Solemnity of Sts. Peter & Paul. It is a solemnity (the highest level of religious feast day) because of how close these first apostles were to the Lord and the martyrdom they suffered for Him.

Of course we know much about Simon Peter, upon whose rock of faith Jesus built His Church (Mt 16:18). Time and again Peter expresses his dedication and faith in Jesus, and time and again says something that gets rebuked by Jesus. Famously Peter, the rock, was so afraid he denied even knowing Jesus (Lk 22:57). Ultimately Peter was restored and commissioned to feed Christ’s sheep and lambs (Jn 21:17). He did so on earth until his martyrdom in Rome in the mid-60’s A.D.

Paul, too, we know well from his writings. His letters and the stories about him in the Acts of the Apostles make up half of the New Testament. Previously called Saul, he started out as a zealous persecutor of Christians - leading the groups of thugs who would go door-to-door to beat up and kill followers of Jesus. Until… on the road to Damascus Saul met Jesus and his life changed. From then and there-on Paul was commissioned by Jesus as “a chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites” (Acts 9:15). And so he did throughout Greece, Asia Minor, and the islands of the Mediterranean, until he, too, earned the crown of martyrdom in Rome.

We celebrate both saints as friends of Jesus, leaders of the flock of God and preachers of the Good News. Sacred Tradition holds that Peter was the first Bishop of Rome and so the first pope. Each pope since has thus been “Successor of Peter” and St. Pope John Paul II said that he considered himself a successor of Paul too: as a great evangelist and tireless missionary.

We take up an annual collection, called “Peter’s Pence” around this Solemnity (so ours is on Sunday, June 23, at SJV) for the current Successor of Peter, Pope Francis and pray for his ministry. As well, we can mark this day in a special way by re-reading the Acts of the Apostles in our family prayer and reflection. These stories will remind us that the earliest followers of Jesus received and handed on the Good News of Jesus - and we must too!

An ancient hymn, called the Decora Lux, is sung on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul and in part it reads:

O Roma felix, quae duorum principum
Es consecrata glorioso sanguine:
Horum cruore purpurata ceteras
Excellis orbis una pulchritudines.

(O happy Rome! who in thy martyr princes' blood,
A twofold stream, art washed and doubly sanctified.
All earthly beauty thou alone outshinest far,
Empurpled by their outpoured life-blood's glorious tide.)

May the great Apostles pray for us and inspire us to grow ever-closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus! Peace be with you all,

Fr. David

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