Our Lady of Guadalupe

Date: June, 29

The Church celebrates the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul to honor the two great apostles Peter and Paul.

St. Peter, one of the Twelve and the chief of the Apostles, the Rock upon which Christ built His Church, and St. Paul “called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1) and Apostle to the Gentiles.

Together they are honored as founders of the Church of Rome, having been separately martyred there during the reign of Emperor Nero.

Peter, who was also known as Simon Peter of Cephas.  Simon Peter was the first of the Apostles in the Gospel of Matthew to acknowledge verbally that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, an indispensable truth of the faith revealed to him by the Father through the Holy Spirit.

• When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied , “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  He said to them, But who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:13-16)

Christ changed Simon’s name to Peter, “rock”, and established him as the rock upon which his Church would be built.

• Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.  For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.  And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you lose on earth shall be lost in heaven.” (Matthew 16: 17-19)

Peter was thus preeminent among the Twelve Apostles and was given a unique mission.  He would guard the authentic teachings of Christ, serve as a focal point of unity and be a shepherd for the Apostles and the entire Church.  

This special call of Peter is the origin of the Petrine ministry, the papal office, which continues in the Bishop of Rome in an unbroken line to our own day.  A bishop’s authority in his diocese is represented by his chair.  

Saint Paul is one of the most important and influential of all the saints. Many of his writings are contained in the Canon of the Bible and have influenced the growth and development of the Church since the first century.

Saint Paul was originally known as Saul, and he was a Roman citizen and a Pharisee. He even presided over the persecutions of the early Christians and was present at the martyrdom of Saint Stephen.

However, Saul experienced a powerful vision that caused him to convert to Christianity while on the road to Damascus. He was duly baptized and took the name Paul.

• “To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ, and to bring to light [for all] what is the plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God who created all things…”-Saint Paul, The Letter to the Ephesians 3:8-9