SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES
Readings
First: Acts 12:1-11 - Peter is imprisoned by King Herod, but the church prays fervently and an angel sets him free so he can continue leading the church.
Psalm 33 - From all my terrors the Lord set me free / I will bless the Lord at all times / Glorify the Lord with me / Look towards him and be radiant / An angel of the Lord is encamped.
Second: II Timothy 4: 6-8, 17-18- Paul's reflections on the crown promised everyone who servers God: ... I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ... The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be proclaimed.
Gospel: Matthew 16:13-19 - Jesus asks “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ... “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ... “But who do you say that I am?” ...Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ... you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.
Themes
The legacy of Peter and Paul
God’s power to transform and redirect our lives.
Faithfulness
Authority - Petrine leadership
Saint Paul – Peter's successor.
Leadership: the need for both formal consistent, Petrine leadership and charismatic, personal and inspirational leadership of people like Paul.
Praying for the Peters and Pauls of today’s church,
Treasuring the faith and passing it on to others.
https://www.liturgytools.net/2014/06/mass-hymns-feast-of-saints-peter-and-paul.html?m=1
Copyright information
Picture: "Saint Peter and Saint Paul" (c. 1616), by Jusepe de Ribera (1591–1652), in Musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France. Public Domain.
