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A profile of St. Peter, by a parishioner of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church, Boston.
St. Peter
St. Peter
Patron of fishermen, net makers, and ship builders
Patron of fishermen, net makers, and ship builders
Feast Day: Feb 22 (Chair of Peter)
Feast Day: June 29 (St. Peter and St. Paul)
Feast Day: November 18 (Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul)
St. Peter, who was also known as Simon Peter of Cephas, was ordained by Jesus as the "Rock of My Church". He was a native of Bethsaida, near Lake Tiberias and was the son of Jonah. He and his brother Andrew were fishermen on Lake Genesareth.
After the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost following Christ's ascension, Peter was filled with all the gifts he needed to lead the young Church. That Pentecost morning, he gave such a powerful speech about Jesus to the crowd in Jerusalem that three thousand people asked to be baptized immediately. Peter was the first Apostle to perform a miracle in Christ’s name. Working with St. Paul, he recognized that the Church needed to be open to all people.
Peter was instrumental in bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles. He baptized the Roman pagan Cornelius, and at the Council of Jerusalem gave his support to preach to Gentiles, thereby permitting the new Church to become universal.
There are so many stories about Peter that it is nearly impossible to fully encompass his deeds, but one story of note was when he was imprisoned by King Herod Agrippa but was able to escape with the help of an angel.
The Bible nowhere explicitly says Peter was in Rome; but, on the other hand, it doesn’t say he wasn’t. In fact, very little is said about where he, or any of the apostles other than Paul, went in the years after the Ascension. For the most part, we have to rely on books other than the New Testament for information about what happened to the apostles in later years.
Peter was a fisherman who was not very educated and who spoke only Aramaic; he was not the type of person that might travel widely across the Roman Empire to a large city where Latin and Greek were the dominant languages. Yet, Peter’s missionary efforts included travels to such cities of the pagan world as Antioch, Corinth, and eventually Rome. He made reference to the Eternal City in his first Epistle by noting that he writes from Babylon.
According to rich tradition, Peter was crucified on the Vatican Hill upside down because he declared himself unworthy to die in the same manner as the Lord. He was then buried in Rome near the Vatican on Vatican Hill around the year 64 AD.
Peter was the first bishop of Rome, a title that has been given to every pope. Peter made Rome the home of the worldwide Church. Together, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, our greatest missionary, were so important to the growth of our Church that we honor them with a joint feast day on June 29th. They both died as martyrs for their belief in Christ.
In the early 4th century, Emperor Constantine I, honored Peter with a large basilica over the site of his burial despite the slope of Vatican Hill, which first needed to be excavated. The Church has another celebration each year called the Dedication of the Basilicas of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome. A basilica is a great church dedicated to the memory of an important person or event. This double feast is celebrated on November 18. On November 24, 2013, Pope Francis revealed the relics of nine bone fragments for the first time in public during a Mass celebrated at St. Peter's Square.
In Saint Peter’s Basilica there is an ancient chair that has been carefully protected for over 2000 years. People believe that it belonged to St. Peter. It is a tradition for every pope and bishop since Peter to have a special chair in their cathedral church. From this chair, the bishop preaches and leads his people in celebrations. Each year, the Church honors this tradition by celebrating the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter on February 22. It is a sign of our unity as Catholics. Together, we gather around our pope as pastor of the entire Church.
While Peter's chief feast day is June 29, he is also honored on February 22 and November 18. In liturgical art, he is depicted as an elderly man holding a key and a book. His symbols include an inverted cross, a boat, and the cock.
References:
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5358http://saintsresource.com/peter-the-apostlehttps://www.catholic.com/tract/was-peter-in-romeReferences:
St. Peter: The Persecution of Christians
St. Peter: The Persecution of Christians
St. Peter - To be played on EWTN
June 20, 2020, 8 pm EST - Pt.1
June 27, 2020, 8pm EST - Pt. 2.
The movie is also available on Amazon prime.
Actor Omar Sharif gives a powerful performance in the title role of this classic film as St. Peter - Apostle, Martyr and The Rock upon which Jesus built His Church.
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