General. This feast is a major feast for the Church as it commemorates the consecration of this day with the martyrdom of the Apostles Peter and Paul. For the Church of Christ, the holy blood of these two princes has shed light on the whole wide world as two great luminaries which gave out their light in the darkness of paganism. Peter, who held the power of the keys, made glorious victory by means of the cross, whilst Paul, who imparted words of life to the nations, ran the ultimate race towards Christ and gained life through the sword. See Feastday Profile

Acts of the Apostles. When Herod seizes Peter and locks him up in prison, God leads him out of that place with an uplifted and mighty arm the same way as He had led out His people out of Egypt from under the Pharoah. Peter here confirms his faith in the Lord’s might which freed him from under the clutches of Herod and all evil powers which were then surounding him.

Second Epistle to Timothy. Paul too praises the Lord for all the wonders wrought in his favour. He struggled in the name of the Lord and kept strong his faith, and he promises that whatever has been prepared for him has also been prepared for all those who kept in their hearts the wish to meet the Lord.

St Matthew. Jesus bestows all power and authority to Peter on this earth after his statement that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. In believing that God is the living Lord of history which is happening right now would render His Risen Son an equally living person in our life’s history today. And we are indeed blessed in the eyes of the Lord if we believe all this.

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