“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims His handiwork...
Reflections on the readings for the Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul, Apostles (June 29, 2022): Acts 3:1-10; PS 19:2-4,4-5; GAL 1:11-20; JN 21:15-19
MISSIO offers “Mission In Scripture” to nurture a missionary heart, providing reflections on the missionary themes in the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
....Day pours out the word to day; and night to night imparts." (Psalm 19:2-3)
This Solemnity venerates two men chosen especially by Christ to share the gift of salvation with the world. They are considered the main pillars of the early Church. They contributed greatly to the growth of Christianity in their own time -- and in the generations since then. St. Peter, then called Simon, was made an Apostle by Jesus at the start of His public ministry. A Galilean fisherman, Peter was called by Jesus to lead the Apostles and the Church after His ascension to heaven. In the first reading today, we hear about the cures that the Vicar of Christ, performed while sharing the message of our Redeemer. Peter preached in Jerusalem and eventually in Rome where he likely lived on and off for more than two decades. During this time Peter met Paul, originally Saul, a loyal Jew who was converted from persecuting the Christians by Jesus Himself who appeared to him while he was going to have some believers arrested. Paul speaks of this and his transformation in his letter to the Galatians: “The Gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it. But it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. … God …called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me, so that I might proclaim Him to Gentiles” (Galatians 1:11-13,15-16).
Paul became the greatest missionary of the early Church, establishing a number of faith communities and encouraging Christians through his many letters as well as his preaching. He suffered a great many hardships in his travels, including arrest and imprisonment. In Rome, about 65 A.D., St. Peter was crucified and St. Paul was beheaded for their faith. Relics of Peter are under St. Peter’s Basilica while those of Paul are located at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
Suggested missionary action: Let us say the prayer of St. John Paul II: “May the Lord, who today gladdens us with the memory of the Apostles Peter and Paul, enable us to listen to their teaching with a docile heart, preserve it with devotion, and transmit it with fidelity, so that the Gospel message may reach to the ends of the earth. Amen.”
