Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
St Augustine of Hippo once said in his sermon: “Both apostles share the same feast day...even though they suffered on different days,
they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles' blood.”
At the Angelus address on this feast day back in 2022 Pope Francis said, "The journey of faith is never a walk in the park, but is instead demanding, sometimes arduous… At first, he (St Peter) was horrified at the thought of the Cross; but at the end of his life, he bore witness to the Lord with courage, even to the point of being crucified—according to tradition—upside down...Even Paul, who became a Christian, had to learn to be one in a gradual manner, especially through times of trial.”
Finally, the Pope invited us to reflect: “In the light of this experience of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, each of us can ask ourselves: when I profess my faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, do I do so with the awareness that I must always learn, or do I assume that I 'already have it all figured out'? And again: in difficulties and trials do I become discouraged, do I complain, or do I learn to make them an opportunity to grow in trust in the Lord?”
