29 June, 2024 | Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Happy Feast of Sts Peter and Paul
Reading1: Acts 12:1-11 , Reading2: 2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18
Gospel Mt 16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, 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.”
Reflection:
Today we celebrate Saints Peter and Paul, considered strong pillars of Christ’s Church. While St Paul met with Jesus as a persecutor, St Peter was called by him as a fisherman. Both were tested and fine-tuned by God for establishing the Kingdom of heaven. While Peter witnessed the dazzling glory of the transfigured Christ, Saul before becoming Paul was struck by the Light of Christ on the road to Damascus. Both of them were martyred for the sake of Jesus and different moments in time of their ministry.
It was not so much the purity of their lives but the purity of purpose that bestowed on them God’s trust to progress his mission. Their die-hard focus on proclaiming who they had witnessed as Son of the living God to the ends of the earth, made them beacons of hope for the Goodnews. The anointing that they received from God’s Holy Spirit fuelled and fired their engines of the faith, so much so that they became samples of the fruits and the gifts that were promised.
Let us re-affirm our calling for the proclamation of The Way, The Truth and The Life, today.
Activity:
Share the testimony of Saints Peter and Paul with as many young children as possible. Invigorate joyful participation with a testimony from your life.Help the Paulines in their ministry in some way.
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