SAINTS PETER & PAUL
Micah, Chapter 7,
verse 17
They will lick the
dust like a snake, like crawling things on the ground; They will come quaking
from their strongholds; they will tremble in FEAR of you, the LORD, our
God.
Do not be afraid of anything that
you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison,
that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain
faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rv. 2:10)
Let us build up our gratitude to the Lord for his
saving graces.
“Lord
Jesus Christ, you are the strength of the weak and the confidence of those who
trust in you. Be my secure confidence and my abundant strength! Teach me to
understand myself and to believe in effectiveness of your saving grace. Grant
me the courage not to stop trying and teach me the humility to trust in you
when I tend to be discouraged by my weakness.[2]
Feast of Saint Peter
and Paul[3]
Today is the grand rejoicing in the
two Princes of the Apostles and founders of the Church in Rome.
PETER,
formerly called Simon, was a son of Jonas, of Bethsaida, in Galilee, and a
brother of Andrew, by whom he was brought to Christ, Who at once changed his
name and called him Peter. When, soon after, Jesus said to both of them on the
Sea of Tiberias, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” they both left
their nets and followed Him. From this time forward Jesus was constantly giving
him particular proofs of His love. From the ship of Peter, He taught the
thronging multitude, and to him He promised that on him, as upon a rock, He
would build His Church, against which the gates of hell should not prevail. Our
Lord took Peter with Him at the raising of Jairus daughter from the dead; at
His own transfiguration on Mount Tabor; at the beginning of His passion in the
Garden of Gethsemane. To him He promised the keys of the kingdom of heaven; for
him He specially prayed that his faith might not fail; and him He commanded to
strengthen his brethren. After His resurrection He appeared particularly to Peter,
and three times commanded him to feed His flock. But Peter had, above all the
other apostles, made himself worthy of this preeminence by his living faith,
his humility, his love, and his zeal for the honor of Jesus; for he it was who,
before the other apostles, made the confession, “Thou art Christ, the Son of
the living God.” He showed his humility when, at the miraculous draught of
fishes, he said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Out of love
he desired to remain always with Christ on Mount Tabor to prevent Him from
suffering; and out of love he declared himself ready with Christ to live or
die; nay, he even declared most confidently that, though all should be
scandalized in Christ, yet he would not be. When Jesus was taken prisoner, Peter
showed himself to be most courageous by cutting off the ear of one of his master’s
enemies, and by following Him to the house of Caiaphas. Three times, indeed,
did he, as no one else did, deny his Lord out of fear; but the look of
forgiving love which Jesus cast upon him forced from him tears of the deepest
contrition, and three times afterwards, accordingly, he made that confession,
“Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.” After he had received the Holy Ghost,
full of courage, he confessed Christ crucified, and preached Him in Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Ionia, and Bithynia. At Jerusalem he was once already
condemned to death, but was set free by an angel. In the year 54 he went to
Rome, whence, after a nine years residence, he was banished, with many other
Christians. Upon returning thither again he was confined in the Mamertine
prison, and finally, on June 29, in the year A.D. 67, under the Emperor Nero,
he was crucified; his head, by his own desire, hung downwards, because he
thought himself unworthy to die like Christ.
Paul,
before his conversion called Saul, was of the tribe of Benjamin, a native of
Tarsus, in Cilicia, and a pupil of Gamaliel. Full of zeal for the law, he
bitterly opposed the Christians. As he was travelling to Damascus to persecute them,
he was, on the way, converted by Christ. How indefatigably he thenceforward
worked in the vineyard of the Lord, and what dangers and persecutions he
underwent, no pen can describe. It is almost incredible with what zeal and
perseverance he preached Christ, in chains and fetters, under blows and
scourges, in hunger and thirst, and untold times at the peril of his life. And
yet he was so humble that he counted himself the least of the apostles, and
always praised God that He had thought him worthy to suffer for His name. After
he had at last fought a good fight, and finished his course having everywhere
zealously preached the Gospel, and still more zealously practiced it he
received the crown of justice (n. Tim. iv. 6). The Emperor Nero caused him to
be beheaded on the same day that Peter was crucified.
The Introit of the Mass is
in the words spoken by St. Peter after his delivery from the prison at
Jerusalem: Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent His angel and hath
delivered me out of the hands of Herod, and from all the expectation of the
people of the Jews (Acts xii. 11). “Lord, Thou hast proved me and known me;
Thou hast known my sitting down and my rising up” (Ps. cxxxviii. 1, 2).
Prayer. O God, Who hast consecrated this
day by the martyrdom of Thy apostles SS. Peter and Paul, grant to Thy Church,
in all things, to follow their doctrines, through whom the true faith was first
proclaimed.
EPISTLE.
Acts xii. 1-11.
In
those days: Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the
Church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And seeing that
it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to take up Peter also. Now it was in the days
of the Azymes. And when he had apprehended him, he cast him into prison,
delivering him to four files of soldiers to be kept, intending after the Pasch
to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison. But
prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him. And when Herod
would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two
soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the
prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him: and a light shined in
the room: and he striking Peter on the side raised him up, saying: Arise quickly.
And the chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said to him: Gird
thyself, and put on thy sandals. And he did so. And he said to him: Cast thy
garment about thee, and follow me. And going out he followed him, and he knew
not that it was true which was done by the angel: but thought he saw a vision.
And passing through the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate
that leadeth to the city, which of itself opened to them. And going out, they
passed on through one street: and immediately the angel departed from him. And
Peter coming to himself, said: Now I know in very deed that the Lord hath sent
His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the
expectation of the people of the Jews.
GOSPEL.
Matt. xvi. 13-19.
At that time Jesus came into
the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and He asked His disciples, saying: Who do
men say that the Son of man is? But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other
some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. Jesus saith to them:
But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ
the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou,
Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My
Father Who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this
rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever
thou shalt bind upon earth it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever
thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
Why did Christ ask His
disciples, Who do men say that the Son of man is? To give them an opportunity to
confess their belief in Him as the true Son of God, and upon that open confession
to ground a promise of the highest importance.
Why does Christ call
Himself the Son of man?
In order that, His Godhead being veiled under the form of man, He might thus
test the faith of His disciples, and teach us that He was both true God and
true man.
What did Peter mean to
say by those words,
“Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God?” He thereby confesses that
Christ is the Son of God, begotten from all eternity, and therefore of the same
substance with the Father; that by Him all things were made, and that from Him
comes our life in soul and body.
What reward did Peter
receive for his confession?
Christ pronounced him blessed that God had given him such grace, conveyed to
him the highest authority in His Church, and gave him the pre-eminence above
all the apostles.
What is the meaning of
the expression “to bind and to Loose”? According to Isaias, it signifies to open and to shut
heaven, and here consequently denotes the power, as representative of Jesus
Christ, to receive persons into the Church, and to excommunicate them from it;
to forgive sins, or to retain them; to impose or to remit punishments for them;
to establish laws and prohibitions, to abolish them, to change them, and, in
general, to govern and direct in everything, as shall be necessary for the
preservation of unity and order in the Church, and for the good of the
faithful.
Was
the power to bind and to loose given to Peter only? No, but to the rest of the
apostles also; the power of the keys, however, Jesus gave only to Peter. Peter,
therefore, and his successors, possess this supreme power, while the other
apostles and their successors, the bishops, possess the authority entrusted to
them by Christ, to be exercised by them in unity with the rock, that is, with
Peter and his successors.
Of
the Pope
What is the Pope to the Catholic? The representative of Jesus
Christ, and the visible head, appointed by Him, for the government of His
Church.
Did Christ actually appoint such a
supreme head? Yes,
and that in the person of St. Peter. He gave him the significant name Peter the
rock, distinguished him always above the other apostles, and laid upon him the
charge to feed His lambs, that is, the faithful, and His sheep, that is, the
bishops themselves; and this power Peter uniformly exercised.
Why did Christ appoint a visible
head for the Church? Because
the Church is an outward, visible society, united together not only by inward
faith in Christ, but also by outward, visible signs. Such a visible head is as
necessary for the Church as for a body, a family, a society, a state, to
prevent disunion, confusion, and the consequent destruction of the whole; this
supreme head is the center of the whole, the final judge, the authoritative
teacher.
Who is now this supreme head? The Bishop of Rome, or the Pope.
It is undeniable that Peter occupied the bishop’s see at Rome, and that he died
there. Equally indisputable is it that the successor of St. Peter entered upon
possession of his rights, and, together with the episcopal see of Rome,
inherited also the office possessed by him. From the first centuries this has
ever been acknowledged by the faithful, who have accordingly called the Bishop
of Rome Pope that is, the father of the faithful. And how clearly does history
show that Peter and his successors are the rock upon which the Lord has
immovably founded His Church! What storms have not broken upon the Church!
Persecutions from without and
within, heresies and schisms without number, and infidelity in its most hideous
form, have raged against the Church, and what has been the consequence? Nations have often fallen away
from the Church, single bishops have proved betrayers of their flocks, the sees
of the apostles themselves have been subject to the vicissitudes of time. And amid
all these storms Rome alone has, for over eighteen hundred years, stood firm.
She has come out of every contest victorious, has remained the center of faith
and discipline, and has preserved the unbroken succession of bishops from
Peter. Who does not see herein the assistance of Him Who forever fulfills that
promise of His, “Upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it” The Pope is, therefore, the visible supreme head
of the Church, appointed by Christ for all time; the invisible, all-governing
head is Christ Himself.
Things
to do[4]
·
Take a pilgrimage to Rome to visit the burial
places of St. Peter and Paul.
·
Go fishing in honor of St. Peter. He was a
fisherman before he became Jesus' disciple, and is the patron saint of
fisherman and net makers.
·
Go camping in honor of St. Paul. Before
his conversion to Christianity, Paul was a tent maker. He is the patron
saint of tent makers as well as writers. In addition to being an accomplished
preacher, Paul wrote epistles that are included in the Bible's New Testament.
·
Attend Mass and learn how both Peter and Paul,
two men with very different visions, formed the early church and how
Christianity rapidly spread.
Insalata
Di Tarocci[5]
INGREDIENTS
- 4 blood oranges or other small,
sweet oranges
- 1 small red onion, cut into very
thin slices*
- 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. freshly chopped Italian
parsley; stems discarded
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Details
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Combine
a dozen or so men with large sackes draped over their shoulders; ox-drawn carts
bearing the image of San Paolo (himself holding a snake and a book in one hand,
a sword pointing to the heavens in the other); squads of flagbearers and
swordsmen; a cotillion of old men with black berets playing an indescribable
array of instruments (many homemade); a piazza packed with local residents
dressed in Sunday finery; and long tables filled with all manner of food and
beverage, and you have a beginner's idea of what to expect if you find yourself
in Aragona in southern Sicily on June 29, the feast of St. Paul. (If you decide
to visit the church however, you no longer have to fear the ritual called La
benedizione deglie serpe, whereby residents presented snakes to the priest
for benediction. The ritual was done away with a few years ago. If you do
venture to Aragona for this festival, the blood orange and red onion salad
presented here is one of the many foods you're likely to sample. Although any
type of orange can be substituted to following is made with tarocci or
blood oranges, which are one of Sicily's most famous products. Exceptionally
high in vitamin C, strongly fragrant, and with brilliant red peel and pulp, the
tarocci is widely used in salads, frozen ice cream desserts, and sorbets.
DIRECTIONS
Italians have become very
fond of cipolle de tropea a type of sweet red onion that comes from
Calabria and is not yet available in the US. To achieve the same sweetness,
soak the sliced red onion in water for thirty minutes before using.
1. Peel the oranges and
remove the pith. Cut horizontally into thin slices. Put in a bowl and set
aside.
2. Separate the onion
slices into individual layers and put in the bowl with the oranges. Add the oil
and half the parsley to the bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss until
all ingredients are well coated.
3. Arrange the orange and
onion slices in a circular pattern on a round platter. Drizzle with the oil
left in the bowl, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve.
Make Ahead:
The oranges can be tossed with the marinade earlier in the day.
How to Serve: On its own as a midsummer appetizer, followed by a light pasta, or as a salad course accompanying an especially piquant entree.
Waffle Irons were first found in that
area of Northwestern Europe known as the Low Countries, which includes Belgium
and the Netherlands as well as other places. Originally, they were made to be
used over an open flame, and were thus constructed on the end of two long,
typically wooden, handles with a clamshell system at one end, which would be
held over a fire to bake.
The origin of the waffle iron can be
traced back to the middle ages, where they were developed from a device known
as the ‘wafer iron’. These were commonly used in the creation of the
communion wafer, but larger varieties existed, consisting of nothing more than
two flat irons often engraved with elaborate scenes. For the communion
wafer, it was depictions of the crucifixion of Christ. While the larger secular
designs varied widely, often engraved with artistic floral designs,
illumination, or just about any other form of design you could imagine.
·
The Belgians celebrate the feast of St. Michael by
eating waffles; perhaps we could start celebrating Mondays with waffles in honor
of the angels; remembering we too like Michael must be as strong as iron
against the enemy and we must not waffle. Sorry I couldn’t resist.
Daily
Devotions
·
Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance
of the Angels
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1] Larry Baumann, The excitement of the
spiritual Life.
[2] A. Francis Coomes, S. J., Fathers’
Manual.
[3] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896.
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