Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Feast day: June 29
Two pillars of the Church: Saint Peter holds the keys of the Kingdom, Saint Paul proclaims the Gospel (29/06)
What is this feast?
On 29 June, the Church celebrates together two Apostles who are called the two pillars of the Church: Saint Peter and Saint Paul. According to a very ancient tradition, both were martyred in Rome under the emperor Nero, around the years 64 to 67. The two were very different, but they shared the same love for Jesus and built up the same Church.
The story
Simon was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus called him: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mt 4:19). One day he declared: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Mt 16:16). Jesus called him Peter, which means Rock, and promised to give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven (cf. Mt 16:18-19). Peter once denied his Master three times, but he wept and was sorry; after rising from the dead, Jesus gave him his flock to look after (cf. Jn 21:15-17). According to tradition, he was crucified in Rome and buried on the Vatican Hill.
Saul, for his part, had persecuted the Christians, until the day the Risen Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus. From then on, Paul travelled all around the Mediterranean Sea to preach the Gospel. He was beaten, imprisoned and shipwrecked, and he wrote many letters to the communities. According to tradition, he was beheaded in Rome.
Why does the Church celebrate this feast?
The Church celebrates because she is built on the foundation of the Apostles. Saint Peter reminds us of unity: the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, is his successor. Saint Paul reminds us of mission: the Gospel must be proclaimed to every people. Both show that God uses people who are weak but know how to repent to do great things.
A lesson for you
- Say a prayer for the Pope and the bishops.
- When you stumble like Saint Peter, be sorry and come back to the Lord.
- Like Saint Paul, tell your friends about Jesus through kind words and good deeds.
Identifying marks
- Saint Peter with white hair, holding two keys, one gold and one silver: Jesus promised to give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven (cf. Mt 16:19); in the usual explanation of paintings and statues, the gold key stands for authority in heaven and the silver key for authority on earth.
- A fishing net hanging at Saint Peter’s side: he had been a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, called by the Lord to become one of the “fishers of men” (Mt 4:19).
- Saint Paul, bald, with a long dark beard, holding a book: the book recalls the letters he wrote, which are now in the Bible; the bald head and long beard are a traditional way of drawing him that goes back to very old paintings.
- A sword pointing down to the ground in Saint Paul’s hand: according to tradition, he was beheaded in Rome; the sword also recalls “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:17).
- A halo above both their heads: both are holy Apostles and holy martyrs.
- A faint dome in the background: it recalls Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the city where the two were martyred; the present basilica, with this dome, was built over Saint Peter’s tomb from the 16th century on, so it did not exist in their time: the painter put it there only to help you recognize Rome.
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