Solemnity Saint Peter & Saint Paul

June 29 Solemnity
Saint Peter
Saint Paul

A Reading from Saint Paul to the Corinthians

"Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain, For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared to Kephas, then to the Twelve…..Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me. For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-10)

The Gospel according to Saint Matthew

“But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 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 loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:15-19)

Preface of Peter and Paul
Apostles to the Eucharistic Prayer June 29

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,

we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks.

You fill our hearts with joy

as we honor your great apostles:

Peter, our leader in the faith,

and Paul, its fearless preacher.

Peter raised up the Church
from the faithful flock of Israel.
Paul brought your call to the nations,
and became the teacher of the world.
Each in his chosen way gathered into unity the one family of Christ.
Both shared a martyr’s death
and are praised through the world.

“In their apostolic mission, Saints Peter and Paul were obliged to face difficulties of every kind. But, far from deterring their missionary activity, these difficulties reinforced their zeal for the Church’s welfare and for the salvation of mankind. They were able to overcome every trial because their trust was not based on human resources but on the grace of the Lord, who delivers his friends from every evil and saves then for his kingdom. May our holy patrons, Peter and Paul, sustain us and obtain for us that missionary zeal which made them witnesses of Christ to the ends of the then-known world.”
(Pope John Paul II)
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Saint Peter and Saint Paul Icon
Saint Paul Preaching - Raphael
Saint Peter Receives The Keys - Vannucci
Saint Peter and Saint Paul - El Grecco