Acts 12.1-11 | 2 Timothy 4.6-8,17-18 | Matthew 16.13-19

This Sunday, we celebrate with Mother Church the Solemnity of the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul, who were martyred for believing in Jesus. Peter, who was the first to confess faith in Christ, founded the early Church on the heritage of Israel; and Paul, who was a teacher and doctor of the faith, illuminated the depths of the mystery and proclaimed the Gospel to all nations. By different means, both gathered together the one family of Christ and, united by the crown of martyrdom, today receive the same veneration throughout the world (cf. Preface for today's solemnity).

Today the Evangelist Matthew tells us about Jesus' choice of Simon Peter as the rock upon which He would build His Church.

Simon Peter responded, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" when Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" It was not a human being who revealed this to Simon Peter, but God the Father who was in Heaven.

Then Jesus gave Simon Peter the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, so that whatever he bound or loosed on earth would also be bound or loosed in Heaven.

Jesus dedicated part of His precious time to forming the leaders who would continue the redemptive mission that He had begun, those who would be at the forefront of guiding His Church. From among the disciples, Twelve were chosen, called apostles, and from among the apostles, Simon Peter was chosen to preside in charity and be a sign of unity in faith. Over time, through apostolic succession, we have come to the Pope and bishops of today.

Even though he brilliantly professed faith in the Messiah Jesus as the Son of the living God, Simon Peter shamefully denied knowing Him three times (cf. Matthew 26:69-75). But the risen Jesus, who knows the sincerity of hearts, in addition to forgiving those denials, reaffirmed Simon Peter’s mission to shepherd His sheep, His lambs (cf. John 21:15-22).

Let us praise God for the lives of those He has chosen to lead the Church of Jesus in the turbulent sea of ​Hhistory. Let us honor the leaders of the Church who shepherd us, praying for their apostolate, so that it may be lived in holiness and with courage, in the certainty that the power of hell will never be able to overcome the Church.

Today, the evangelist Luke tells us in the Acts of the Apostles about Peter’s imprisonment in Jerusalem by Herod, about the Church’s continual prayer for him, and about his mysterious liberation by an angel, in a reinterpretation of today’s psalm (cf. 33:8).

The early Church (formed by first-century Christians) was violently persecuted by the Jews and the Romans, first in Jerusalem and then in the main cities and regions of the empire. Today’s passage speaks of the martyrdom of the Apostle James, the brother of John (cf. 12:2). The persecution reached Simon Peter himself, who was taken to Rome, where he was crucified upside down between the years 64 and 67 (cf. Church Tradition). 

Unfortunately, there is still violent persecution of Christians in various countries. Inspired by the early Church, let us pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters, and let us be like angels who console and work for the right to religious freedom. 

Today, in his second letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul speaks to us of his imminent martyrdom, of the presence of the Lord at his side, and of his salvation for the heavenly Kingdom, for the eternal glory of the Lord. 

Paul was Saul, a pious Jew of the Pharisees, trained in the school of the famous teacher Gamaliel. In his radicalism, he persecuted Jews who had converted to the Christian faith, supporting their imprisonment and stoning, as in the case of the deacon Stephen (cf. Acts 7:54-58). Having converted to Christianity after a mystical encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:1-22), Saul gradually became a fervent Christian, until he was chosen by the community to be a missionary in the cities of the Roman Empire. Having been rejected by the Jews, he began to proclaim Jesus Christ to non-Jews, forming Christian communities, which he later accompanied through various doctrinal and pastoral letters. 

To Timothy, Paul said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." This is a reference to the violent persecutions he suffered, such as imprisonment and stoning. Paul was taken to Rome, where he was beheaded between the years 64 and 67, the same time as Simon Peter (cf. Tradition of the Church).

Following the example of the Apostle Paul, let us be courageous heralds of Jesus Christ to all peoples, crossing seas and mountains, guarding the faith received from the Church, and forming fervent and dynamic Christian communities.

Long live the Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul!