Links to recipes and activites, etc. in #42
Daily Readings for:June 29, 2015
(Readings on USCCB website)
Collect: Grant, we pray, O Lord our God, that we may be sustained by the intercession of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, that, as through them you gave your Church the foundations of her heavenly office, so through them you may help her to eternal salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
RECIPES
Insalata Di Tarocci
Apostle Cookies
Fillet of Flounder in Tomato Sauce
Fish Cake
Fish Salad
Fish Salad
Mandryky
Salmon Mousse
St. Peter’s Fish with Herbs
ACTIVITIES
Apostle Cookies
Family and Friends of Jesus Scrapbook Album
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
Nameday Prayers and Ideas for St. Paul the Apostle
Saints Peter and Paul
St. Paul and the Epistle Charades
St. Peter
The Veneration of Saints
PRAYERS
Litany of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles
Litany of Saint Paul the Apostle
Prayer to St. Paul the Apostle
A Prayer to St. Paul for the Printing of Good Books
The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
LIBRARY
Peter and Paul Sealed Their Witness with Blood | Pope John Paul II
Peter and Paul: Signs of Unity and Fidelity | Pope John Paul II
Ordinary Time: June 29th
Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, apostles
Old Calendar: Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
Veneration of the two great Apostles, Peter and Paul, has its roots in the very foundations of the Church. They are the solid rock on which the Church is built. They are at the origin of her faith and will forever remain her protectors and her guides. To them Rome owes her true greatness, for it was under God’s providential guidance that they were led to make the capital of the Empire, sanctified by their martyrdom, the center of the Christian world whence should radiate the preaching of the Gospel.
St. Peter suffered martyrdom under Nero, in A.D. 66 or 67. He was buried on the hill of the Vatican where recent excavations have revealed his tomb on the very site of the basilica of St. Peter’s. St. Paul was beheaded in the via Ostia on the spot where now stands the basilica bearing his name. Down the centuries Christian people in their thousands have gone on pilgrimage to the tombs of these Apostles. In the second and third centuries the Roman Church already stood pre-eminent by reason of her apostolicity, the infallible truth of her teaching and her two great figures, Sts. Peter and Paul.
A plenary indulgence may be gained today by anyone who makes devout use of a religious article blessed by a bishop and who also recites any approved profession of faith (e.g. the Apostles Creed), as long as the usual conditions are satisfied.
Catholic Culture prepared this special section during the Year of St. Paul.
St. Peter
Peter’s original name was Simon. Christ Himself gave him the name Cephas or Peter when they first met and later confirmed it. This name change was meant to show both Peter’s rank as leader of the apostles and the outstanding trait of his character — Peter (in Hebrew Kephas) the Rock. Peter was born in Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. Like his younger brother Andrew, he was a fisherman and dwelt at Capernaum. Peter’s house often became the scene of miracles, since the Master would stay there whenever He was teaching in that locality. Together with his brothers John and Andrew, Peter belonged to the first of Jesus’ disciples (John 1:40-50).
After the miraculous draught of fish on the Sea of Galilee, Peter received his definitive call and left wife, family, and occupation to take his place as leader of the Twelve. Thereafter we find him continually at Jesus’ side, whether it be as spokesman of the apostolic college (John 6:68; Matt. 16:16), or as one specially favored (e.g., at the restoration to life of Jairus’ daughter, at the transfiguration, during the agony in the garden). His sanguine temperament often led him into hasty, unpremeditated words and actions; his denial of Jesus during the passion was a salutary lesson. It accentuated a weakness in his character and made him humble.
After the ascension, Peter always took the leading role, exercising the office of chief shepherd that Christ had entrusted to him. He delivered the first sermon on Pentecost and received the first Gentiles into the Church (Cornelius; Acts 10:1). Paul went to Jerusalem “to see Peter.” After his miraculous deliverance from prison (Easter, 42 A.D.), Peter “went to a different place,” most probably to Rome. Details now become scanty; we hear of his presence at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1), and of his journey to Antioch (Gal. 2:11).
It is certain that Peter labored in Rome as an apostle, that he was the city’s first bishop, and that he died there as a martyr, bound to a cross (67 A.D.). According to tradition he also was the first bishop of Antioch. He is the author of two letters, the first Christian encyclicals. His burial place is Christendom’s most famous shrine, an edifice around whose dome are inscribed the words: Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam.
Excerpted from The Church’s Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Against frenzy; bakers; bridge builders; butchers; clock makers; cobblers; Exeter College Oxford; feet problems; fever; fishermen; harvesters; locksmiths; longevity; masons; net makers; papacy; Popes; ship builders; shipwrights; shoemakers; stone masons; Universal Church; watch makers; Poznan, Poland; Rome; Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi; Diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada; Diocese of Marquette, Michigan; Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island; Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Symbols: Two keys saltire; pastoral staff and two large keys; inverted cross; inverted cross and two keys saltire; crowing cock; fish; two swords; patriarchal cross and two keys saltire; two keys and a scroll; sword.
Often portrayed as: Bald man, often with a fringe of hair on the sides and a tuft on top; book; keys; man crucified head downwards; man holding a key or keys; man robed as a pope and bearing keys and a double-barred cross.
St. Paul
Paul, known as Saul (his Roman name) before his conversion, was born at Tarsus in the Roman province of Silicia about two or three years after the advent of the Redeemer. He was the son of Jewish parents who belonged to the tribe of Benjamin, was reared according to the strict religious-nationalistic party of the Pharisees, and enjoyed the high distinction of Roman citizenship.
As a youth he went to Jerusalem to become immersed in the Law and had as a teacher the celebrated Gamaliel. He acquired skill as a tent-maker, a work he continued even as an apostle. At the time of Jesus’ ministry he no longer was at Jerusalem; neither did he see the Lord during His earthly-life. Upon returning to the Holy City, Paul discovered a flourishing Christian community and at once became its bitter opponent. When Stephen impugned Law and temple, Paul was one of the first at his stoning; thereafter his fiery personality would lead the persecution. Breathing threats of slaughter against the disciples of Jesus, he was hurrying to Damascus when the grace of God effected his conversion (about the year 34 A.D.; see January 25, Conversion of St. Paul).
After receiving baptism and making some initial attempts at preaching, Paul withdrew into the Arabian desert (c. 34-37 A.D.), where he prepared himself for his future mission. During this retreat he was favored with special revelations, Christ appearing to him personally. Upon his return to Damascus he began to preach but was forced to leave when the Jews sought to kill him. Then he went to Jerusalem “to see Peter.” Barnabas introduced him to the Christian community, but the hatred of the Jews again obliged him to take secret flight. The following years (38-42 A.D.) he spent at Tarsus until Barnabas brought him to the newly founded Christian community at Antioch, where both worked a year for the cause of Christ; in the year 44 he made another journey to Jerusalem with the money collected for that famine stricken community
.
The first major missionary journey (45-48) began upon his return as he and Barnabas brought the Gospel to Cyprus and Asia Minor (Acts 13-14). The Council of Jerusalem occasioned Paul’s reappearance in Jerusalem (50). Spurred on by the decisions of the Council, he began the second missionary journey (51-53), traveling through Asia Minor and then crossing over to Europe and founding churches at Philippi, Thessalonia (his favorite), Berea, Athens, Corinth. He remained almost two years at Corinth, establishing a very flourishing and important community. In 54 he returned to Jerusalem for the fourth time.
Paul’s third missionary journey (54-58) took him to Ephesus, where he labored three years with good success; after visiting his European communities, he returned to Jerusalem for a fifth time (Pentecost, 58). There he was seized by the Jews and accused of condemning the Law. After being held as a prisoner for two years at Caesarea, he appealed to Caesar and was sent by sea to Rome (60 A.D.). Shipwrecked and delayed on the island of Malta, he arrived at Rome in the spring of 61 and passed the next two years in easy confinement before being released. The last years of the saint’s life were devoted to missionary excursions, probably including Spain, and to revisiting his first foundations. In 66 he returned to Rome, was taken prisoner, and beheaded a year later. His fourteen letters are a precious legacy; they afford a deep insight into a great soul.
Excerpted from The Church’s Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Patron: Against snakes; authors; Cursillo movement; evangelists; hailstorms; hospital public relations; journalists; lay people; missionary bishops; musicians; poisonous snakes; public relations personnel; public relations work; publishers; reporters; rope braiders; rope makers; saddlemakers; saddlers; snake bites; tent makers; writers; Malta; Rome; Poznan, Poland; newspaper editorial staff, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Diocese of Covington, Kentucky; Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama; Diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada; Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island; Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts.
Symbols: Book and sword, three fountains; two swords; scourge; serpent and a fire; armour of God; twelve scrolls with names of his Epistles; Phoenix; palm tree; shield of faith; sword; book.
Often portrayed as: Thin-faced elderly man with a high forehead, receding hairline and long pointed beard; man holding a sword and a book; man with 3 springs of water nearby;
Things to Do:
From the Directory on Popular Piety, this feast is important because “it is always useful to teach the faithful to realize the importance and significance of the feasts of those Saints who have had a particular mission in the history of Salvation, or a singular relationship with Christ such as St. John the Baptist (24 June), St. Joseph (19 March), Sts. Peter and Paul (29 June), the Apostles and Evangelists, St. Mary Magdalen (22 July), St. Martha (29 July) and St. Stephen (26 December).”
The Directory on Popular Piety also explains the devotion of the Christian Pilgrimage. During the Middle Ages in particular, “pilgrims came to Rome to venerate the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul (ad Limina Apostolorum), the catacombs and basilicas, in recognition of the service rendered to the universal Church by the successor of Peter.”
Besides the recipes in our database, Cooking With the Saints by Ernst Schuegraf has seven recipes alone for the feast of St. Peter. This is a wonderful book, beautifully illustrated with art of the saints and the actual dishes. This would be a great addition to your liturgical year library.
Learn more about St. Paul, read Paul of Tarsus
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http://wau.org/meditations/current/
Meditation: Psalm 34:2-9
Saints and Peter and Paul, Apostles
Glorify the Lord with me, let us together extol his name. (Psalm 34:4)
We may wonder why the Church celebrates these two great apostles in a single feast.
Both Peter and Paul were present at the Council of Jerusalem described in Acts 15, where Peter recounted how God had unmistakably opened the door for him to minister to Gentiles. His testimony helped the other apostles embrace a bigger and much broader vision for the Church than they had anticipated. It also cleared the way for all the missionary journeying that Paul would do. Even when the two of them were at odds, as happened in Antioch, they remained committed to the gospel message that had united them in the first place (Galatians 2:11-14).
Tradition holds that both apostles were condemned to death on the same day, even if they didn’t die in the same way. Because Paul was a Roman citizen, he was probably beheaded. Peter, however, was crucified upside down.
Despite their different personalities and roles, these two great apostles have been invoked together from the earliest days. Scrawled on the walls of the catacombs are many petitions like these: “Peter and Paul, remember Antonius.” “Paul and Peter, pray for Priscilla.” (Sometimes one name came first, sometimes the other.) In the Eastern tradition, icons dating to the earliest days portray the two men embracing each other, signifying the Church’s love for unity in the midst of diversity.
You may find that you relate to one better than the other according to your personality or where you are on your journey of faith, but don’t forget that Peter and Paul were more effective because they both were willing to encourage and correct each other. The Church today is far stronger because they learned how to work in harmony.
Each of us also serves God better when we are accountable to at least one other person, sharing our struggles and joining together in praise and petition. Think about who fills that role in your life right now. It might be a spouse or a chaplain, a friend or a co-worker. How blessed to be able to glorify the Lord together!
“St. Peter and St. Paul, help me open my heart to a true companion in Christ.”
Acts 12:1-11
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
Matthew 16:13-19
Homily of the Day
June 29, 2015
The Call of Sts. Peter and Paul
The Church celebrates the lives of Sts. Peter and Paul, the great pillars and apostles of the Church: Peter on whom the Church was founded and Paul the great Apostle to the Gentiles. They represent the faith of the Church, holy yet always in need of God’s healing grace. The Church is holy because God who gathers us into community is holy. Yet, as a community deeply immersed in the world, we are constantly in need of purification from God.
In the post-resurrection scene in the Gospel reading for the Vigil, Jesus appears to the disciples at the Sea of Galilee. Jesus invites them to a breakfast he had prepared, including their miraculous catch of fish.
Despite his triple denial during the trial of Jesus, Peter is confirmed as head of the Church, as the rock on which the Church of Christ is founded. Three times Peter is asked, “Do you love me?” Three times Peter affirms his love, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.” Jesus gives him his mission, “Feed my lambs,” “Look after my sheep.” “Feed my sheep. Follow me.”
Peter realizes how Jesus was calling him back into his fold, his love and trust. He hears the Master’s comforting voice once again, “Truly, I say to you, when you were young you put your belt and walked where you liked. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and another will put a belt around you and lead you where you do not wish to go.” The evangelist added, “Jesus said this to make known the kind of death by which Peter was to glorify God.”
In similar fashion Jesus comes to us in moments and places we least expect. His presence is most felt and his call most audible when we need him, when we are most vulnerable, even when we are at times sinful. These come as perfect opportunities for his healing love to be felt by us.
Such are his presence and call that, like Peter or Paul, we simply drop everything when we hear his gentle and loving call. He said that he came not for the righteous but for sinners and for those in need of healing, like we are. He is after all the God of the broken.
http://catholicexchange.com/the-call-of-sts-peter-and-paul
