Saints Peter and Paul – the top of the apostles. They were completely devoted to Christ

Peter was a disciple of Jesus, and from him he received primacy in the Church, the popes being the successors of St Peter. Paul was called the “apostle of nations,” for despite the hardships and dangers, he preached to Christ and established churches among many nations. Both apostles, in spreading Christian faith, suffered martyrdom in Rome.

The Church places the feast of St. Paul and St. Peter on 1 day, not due to the fact that it equals him in the primacy with the first deputy of Christ. The point is that the 2 apostles were co-founders of the Christian community in Rome, both of whom gave their lives to Christ in this city, and that in Rome there are their relics and shrines.

1. Before Peter was Simon

Before receiving the Master’s name Peter or the rock, the stone was called Simon. He usually lived his life. He lived in Bethsaida and then in Capernaum. He had a wife. He was struggling with fishing. Together with Father John and Brother Andrew, who was first called by Christ as a disciple, he led a household fishing enterprise. possibly Simon, before becoming a disciple of Christ, listened attentively to the teachings of Jesus' cousin John the Baptist. So he was prepared to accept the fresh teaching that the Messiah began to preach.

2. He became a stone due to the fact that that's what the boy of God wanted

When Jesus called him as his disciple, though he did not feel worthy, he left everything and followed him. With a extremist change in the way of life, Simon received a fresh name from the Master – Peter, which precisely means Rock. “On this stone I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you solve on earth will be dissolved in heaven," said Peter Christ.

Thus Peter received primacy in leading the Church on earth. He was the first to admit the Messiah. erstwhile asked by Jesus, “And who do you think I am?” Peter, in the name of all the disciples, replied, "You are the Messiah, the boy of the surviving God."

In the alleged "catalogues of the Apostles," Peter is always mentioned first. frequently the word “Peter and Apostles” appears in the Scriptures, which emphasizes his peculiar role. After Jesus ’ resurrection, the first of the apostles entered an empty grave. Later it was Jesus who said to him, "Pray the sheep, feed my lambs," even though Peter denied him 3 times erstwhile Jesus was judged and sentenced to death. All these testimonies indicate the primacy of St. Peter.

3.Peter – missionary

Peter’s missionary work was conducted in Samaria, Lidda, Jaffa, Caesarea of the Sea. He later travels to Antioch, then Asia insignificant and yet Rome, where he founded the Christian commune and was its first bishop. Peter wrote 2 apostolic letters that entered the canon of the fresh Testament. It is besides recognised that St. Mark wrote his Gospel on the basis of the catechesis preached by St. Peter. Therefore, there is simply a detailed description of the vocation of St Peter and the stay of Jesus in the home of St Peter erstwhile He healed his mother-in-law.

4.Vatican basin stands on St Peter's grave

In Rome, during the persecution for Emperor Nero, most likely around 64. Peter was arrested and suffered martyrdom crucified head down (he did not feel worthy to die as Christ did). St. Peter's cult has continued since the beginning of the Church. A church was erected above his grave in the 4th century in the days of Constantine the Great, which, after various reconstructions, yet took the form of the present Basilica of St Peter. Roman bishops have lived at this temple since 1377. After signing between the Holy See and the Italian Republic, the Lateran pacts of little than half a square kilometer around Basilica is the territory of the Vatican City-State. About 8 million pilgrims and tourists visit the site of St. Peter's cult annually. As a sign of the communion of the bishops with the Holy See on the feast of St Peter and Paul, the pope presents the metropolitan paliuszes. St. Peter's Basilica, however, is not a Roman cathedral. This honorary function is played by the Basilica of St John in Lateran.

5. Before Paul was Saul

Saul. He was born in Tarsa between 5 and 10 years after Christ. He was from a wealthy judaic family. Saul’s father purchased Roman citizenship for himself and for the full family, and Saul had it. From childhood, he showed large interest in religion and religion. Therefore, he received a solid spiritual education from Master Gamaliel – 1 of the most outstanding judaic teachers. Like his teacher, Saul joined the Pharisees. Like the leaders of this judaic group, he zealously fought against Christians, among others, oversaw the stoning of St. Stephen. By the time he traveled to Damascus (at the time he was 26 years old) to arrest Christians there, Christ revealed himself to him and asked the celebrated question “Shawle why are you persecuting me?” It was a turning point in Saul’s life (a name that means being asked by God) who had since changed his name to Paul (a name that means small, small).

6. The Missionary of Nations

Paul made 3 large missionary trips in which he reached many pagan cities in Asia insignificant and even Greece, where he founded Christian communities. Thanks to his excellent education, he was besides able to enter into dialog with pagan thinkers, creating fresh opportunities for evangelization among Gentiles. He is called the Apostle of Nations. St. Paul left 13 letters that belong to the canon of Scripture.

Because of his apostolic zeal, his life was repeatedly put at risk. Paul was arrested respective times. He spent many years in various prisons. Many were attacked, flogged, stoned. But he never stopped preaching to Christ. In 67 C.E., he suffered martyrdom in Rome. As a Roman citizen, he was not tortured, but by Nero's command, he was beheaded by a sword. As he himself wrote, “I finished, I kept faith.”

Adam Białous

St. Paul – Grand Duke of the Church

Where Peter is, there is the Church!