A Message from Father Nathan

My dearest people who are all close to my heart!

Lots of love, blessings, and prayers to you all.

The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

The Feasts of Saints Peter and Paul, or the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, is a liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of these apostles – Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which will be observed on the 29th of June. The celebration is of ancient origin, the date selected being the anniversary of either of their deaths or of the translation of their relics.

Pillars of the church

Sts. Peter and Paul are pillars of the Church. They met for the first time in Antioch. Under the Emperor Nero’s Rome, they both died as martyrs, but not in the same year or on the same day. Simon Peter, or Simon the Rock, was unshakable.

That is not to say that he was without flaws: his great ideas often came to nothing. He wanted to walk on the water, but almost drowned; he was the last to abandon Jesus and the first to deny Him. What was unshakable in Him was his faith, which doesn’t come from flesh and blood, but from the Heavenly Father.

Hence, when he was given “the key to paradise”- the attribute of his authority and those of his successors who are destined to maintain the Church on the path of truth and unity. But St. Paul’s freedom was necessary to preserve the Holy Spirit in the Church, which continues to transform the world. Without individuality, faith can become too rigid and uniform. Yet, without St. Peter’s vigilance there would be no unity. So, this double patronage is necessary and cannot be relinquished.

The Roman Martyrdom (the official lists of solemnities, feasts, and other liturgical celebrations of the saint and martyrs) assigned June 29th as the feast day without thereby declaring that to be the day of their deaths.

St. Augustine of Hippo (late 4 th century) says in his Sermon 295:

“One day is assigned for the celebration of the martyrdom of the two apostles. But those two were one. Although their martyrdom occurred on different days, they were one”.

Thus, it is clear that the celebration if of ancient origin.

God bless you all.

With lots of love and blessing.

Ever at your service.

—Fr. Sahayanathan Nathan