Liturgical Living: Celebrating Saint Peter*

The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul is on June 29^th and honors their martyrdom for the faith. Saint Peter is the patron saint of one of our parishes, and his life story is reflected in the stained-glass windows of St Peter’s Church.

In the Catholic Church, a Solemnity is a celebration of the highest rank and also includes the major celebrations of Easter and Christmas. So, the fact that Saint Peter’s death bears the title of a Solemnity tells us how important he is. While he is honored together with Saint Paul, today we are going to focus on Saint Peter.

Saint Peter, who is also called Simon or Simon Peter in the Bible, was a fisherman. His brother Andrew introduced him to Jesus, and they were both chosen to be Apostles.

During the three years the Apostles spent with Jesus, Peter showed definite signs of leadership. Peter’s name appears first in the biblical lists of the Apostles, and even Matthew calls him the “first” (Mt 10:2). When Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?”, Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Peter became the leader in the early Church. According to the Acts of the Apostles, he was the first to preach on Pentecost. He arranged for the selection of Matthias to replace Judas. He worked the first public miracle: curing the lame man at the temple gate. He welcomed the first person who was not Jewish into the Church.

Peter is mentioned 195 times in the Gospels. Jesus loved him dearly and chose him to be our first Pope, giving him the keys to the kingdom of Heaven – even after Peter denied knowing him three times during the Passion. Throughout the Bible, Saint Peter appears lovable, impetuous, practical, and sometimes weak under pressure. His story is a story we can all relate to because it is reflected in each of us.

Here are some fun ideas for celebrating Saint Peter at home today:

·        If you have a net of some kind at home, play “Fishers of Men” (a game of tag where the person who is "it" uses the net to catch the other players)

·        Play a game of “Go Fish”

·        Make pretzel fishing rods for a snack

·        Serve your favorite fish recipe for dinner

O Lord, as we seek to walk in the footsteps of Saint Peter, grant us the courage to embrace our faith with unwavering conviction. Guide us to be steadfast in our journey, reflecting the light of Christ in all we do.

Amen.