Deepertruth: Stand In The Gap With Us And Saints Peter and Paul

Stand In The Gap With Us And Saints Peter and Paul 6/29/2024.  Peter and Paul are both patron saints of Rome and considered cornerstones of the Church. St. Peter was one of the 12 apostles, as well as the first pope and founder of the Roman Church. Although different, although distant in history and experience, and despite having clashed with each other precisely because of these differences, Saint Peter and Paul are like complementary brothers, bound by the Gospel of which they were messengers and depositories. His execution was ordered by the Roman Emperor Nero, who blamed the city's Christians for a terrible fire that had ravaged Rome. Peter requested to be crucified upside down, as he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ. They constantly witness to us the two necessary elements of our Catholic faith: the service of Church authority (Peter) and the outreach of mission (Paul). That is fitting because we need both their teaching and their grace to guide us in our pilgrimage toward our good destiny. St. Peter is often represented holding the keys to heaven and hell, which represent the powers of absolution and excommunication. Peter (d. 64?) Saint Mark ends the first half of his Gospel with a triumphant climax. He has recorded doubt, misunderstanding, and the opposition of many to Jesus. Now Peter makes his great confession of faith: “You are the Messiah” (Mark 8:29b). It was one of the many glorious moments in Peter’s life, beginning with the day he was called from his nets along the Sea of Galilee to become a fisher of men for Jesus.