Saint of the day June 29: Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Catholic Saints

Every June 29, the Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles is celebrated. They are the two monumental figures without whom the Catholic Church, founded by Christ, would not have been able to organize itself or take the form it has acquired over the centuries. Therefore, in all fairness, Peter and Paul are considered his “pillars” or “columns.”

Furthermore, since both apostles were the ones who founded the Church of Rome, the center of Christianity, this solemnity is also “the day of the Pope.”

a sacred day

Calling these holy martyrs “pillars” of the Church is not gratuitous. On them rests the “weight” of the flock of Christ that pilgrims in the world as if they were columns of a building. Without them, the “building” would collapse. With them, there is always balance or balance. This is what Saint Augustine clarifies in one of his sermons:

“Today is sacred for us, because on it we celebrate the martyrdom of the holy apostles Peter and Paul… The fact is that both were in reality one thing even though they were martyred on different days.”

One Church: one announcement

Consequently, following the Bishop of Hippo, we also remember that the unity of the Church was sealed with the blood of martyrdom. The first to pour it out was Our Lord Jesus Christ, who wanted to share his sacrifice of love with men, in the same way as he placed in human hands the mission of steering the boat that is the Church: thus, the Apostle Peter was chosen by Christ: “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church” (Mt 16, 18).

And the work of God requires human cooperation. Peter is then the humble “rock” that serves as the basis of the Mystical Body of Christ. For this reason, the Pope, Successor of Peter and Vicar of Christ on earth, is the principle and visible foundation of unity, both of the bishops and of the multitude of faithful. The Bishop of Rome, the Pope, is Pastor of the entire Church and has full, supreme and universal power. Today we celebrate, in particular, the person who currently embodies that mission, the Supreme Pontiff Pope Francis.

Likewise, in harmony with what the faithful have expressed since ancient times, today we celebrate Saint Paul, the ‘Apostle of the Gentiles’: who was for a time a persecutor of Christians, and who later would make a complete change in his life, later becoming the most ardent evangelizer, dedicated to that mission without reservation.

Peter and Paul: the seal of unity

As Pope Benedict XVI recalled in 2012: “Christian tradition has always considered Saint Peter and Saint Paul inseparable: together, in effect, they represent the entire Gospel of Christ… Although humanly very different from each other, and despite that there was no lack of conflict in their relationship, they have established a new way of being brothers, lived according to the Gospel, an authentic way made possible by the grace of the Gospel of Christ that acted in them. Only following Jesus leads to the new brotherhood.”

Let us ask these two holy apostles to intercede for the fidelity of all the members of the Church.

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If you want to know more about Saint Peter and Saint Paul, we recommend these articles from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

For Saint Paul https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Pablo.

For Saint Peter: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Pedro.

More information:

Saint Peter

Saint Paul

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