These saints are considered “the heads of the apostles” because they were the main leaders of the Early Christian Church, both for their faith and preaching, and for their missionary ardor and zeal.
Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles
His first name was Simon, he was from Bethsaida, brother of the Apostle Andrew. A fisherman, he was called by Jesus himself and, leaving everything, followed the Master, being present in the most important moments of the Lord’s life, who gave him the name Peter.
A simple and impulsive man. He spoke many times in the name of the Apostles and did not hesitate to ask Jesus for explanations and clarifications about his preaching.
He was the first to respond to the Master: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Only you have words of eternal life; we believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:67-68) in response to the question that Christ asked his disciples: “Do you also want to leave?”
First Pope of the Church
Initially weak in faith, he came to deny Jesus during the process that would culminate in His death by crucifixion. The Lord Himself confirmed him in faith after His resurrection (of which the apostle was a witness), making him an intrepid preacher of the Gospel through the descent of the Holy Spirit of God, on the Day of Pentecost, which made him leader of the first community.
Saint Peter is the apostle that Jesus Christ chose and invested with the dignity of being the first Pope of the Church. “And I say to you: You are a rock, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.”
Saint Peter is the shepherd of the holy flock, it is in his person and in his successors that we have the visible sign of unity and communion in faith and charity.
Martyrdom
He preached on the Day of Pentecost and sealed his apostolate with his own blood, as he was martyred in one of the persecutions of Christians, being crucified upside down at his own request, because he did not consider himself worthy to die like his Lord, Jesus Christ. He wrote two Epistles and was probably the source of information for Saint Mark to write his Gospel.
São Paulo
Saul was a native of Tarsus. He received a careful education “at the feet of Gamaliel”, one of the great teachers of the Law at the time. He became a zealous Pharisee, to the point of persecuting and imprisoning Christians, being responsible for the deaths of many of them.
From Christian persecutor to conversion
He converted to the Christian faith while persecuting Christians on the road to Damascus, when the Resurrected Lord himself appeared to him and called him to the apostolate: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and prepared himself for the ministry.
Since then, he converted and began preaching Christianity, traveling the world, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the mystery of His Passion, Death and Resurrection.
Apostle of the Gentiles
He became a great missionary and indoctrinator, founding many communities.
From persecutor he became persecuted, he suffered greatly for his faith and was crowned with martyrdom, suffering death by decapitation. He wrote thirteen Epistles and became known as the “Apostle to the Gentiles.”
My prayer
“Lord, today, I want to ask You for the entire Holy Catholic Church. May, through the intercession of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, pillars of the Church, we be able to always be faithful to the faith and doctrine that Christ himself left us. Amen!”
Saint Peter and Saint Paul, pray for us!
Other saints and blesseds celebrated on June 29:
- In Genoa, in Liguria, region of Italy, Saint Syro, who is venerated as a bishop. († c. 330)
- In Narni, in Umbria, also a region of Italy, Saint Cassio, bishop, who, as Pope Saint Gregory the Great narrates, offered the sacrifice of atonement every day bathed in tears and gave everything he had in alms. Finally, on the day of the holy Apostles, on which he used to go to Rome every year, when he celebrated Mass in his city and distributed the Body of Christ to everyone, he set out to meet the Lord. († 558)
- In Gurk, in Carinthia, currently in Austria, Santa Emma, a countess who lived as a widow for forty years and generously gave many of her possessions to the poor and the Church. († c. 1045)
- In an arm of sea in front of the island of Mallorca, a region of Spain, Beato Raimundo Lúlio, religious of the Third Order of Saint Francis and martyr, man of great culture and eminent doctrine, who established a fraternal dialogue with the Saracens, to announce the Gospel of Christ to them. († 1316)
- In the territory of Xiaoluyi, near Shenxian, in Hebei province of China, the holy martyrs Paulo Wu Juan and your son João Baptista Wu Mantang and his nephew Paulo Wu Wanshu, who, during the persecution of the Yihetuan, because they declared themselves Christians, all at the same time deserved the crown of martyrdom. († 1900)
- In Dujiadun, a village in the Chinese province of Hebei, the saints Maria Du Tianshi and your daughter Madalena Du Fengju, martyrs, who, in the same persecution, removed from a sugar cane field where they had hidden, died for the Christian name, the second being locked in the tomb while still alive. († 1900)
Sources:
- Roman Martyrology
- Arquisp
- Book “Santos de cada ia II” – May – August (4th ed.) – José Leite, SJ (Org.)
– Research and writing: Catarina Xavier – Comunidade