Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul (June 29), 성 베드로와 성 바오로 사도 대축일 (6월 29일) 

1st Reading: Acts 12:1-11

Persecution by Herod. Peter's Arrest and Deliverance
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[1] About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to
the church. [2] He killed James the brother of John with the sword; [3] and when
he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was
during the days of Unleavened Bread. [4] And when he had seized him, he put
him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending
after the Passover to bring him out to the people. [5] So Peter was kept in prison;
but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

[6] The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping
between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were
guarding the prison; [7] and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light
shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up
quickly." And the chains fell off his hands. [8] And the angel said to him, "Dress
yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your
mantle around you and follow me." [9] And he went out and followed him; he did
not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a
vision. [10] When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to
the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they
went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him.
[11] And Peter came to himself, and said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent
his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish
people were expecting."

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Commentary:

1-19. This is an account of persecution of the Church by Herod Agrippa (37-44),
which took place before the visit of Paul and Barnabas to the Holy City(cf. 11:30).

The information given in this chapter about the latest persecution of the Jerusalem
community--more severe and more general than the earlier crises (cf. 5:17; 8:1) --
gives an accurate picture of the situation in Palestine and describes events in
chronological sequence. Prior to this the Roman governors more or less protected
the rights of the Jerusalem Christians. Now Agrippa, in his desire to ingratiate
himself with the Pharisees, abandons the Christians to the growing resentment
and hatred the Jewish authorities and people feel towards them.

This chapter brings to an end, so to speak, the story of the first Christian com-
munity in Jerusalem. From now on, attention is concentrated on the church of
Antioch. The last stage of the Palestinian Judeo-Christian church, under the di-
rection of James "the brother of the Lord", will not experience the expansion
enjoyed by other churches, due to the grave turn which events take in the Holy
Land.

1. This Herod is the third prince of that name to appear in the New Testament. He
was a grandson of Herod the Great, who built the new temple of Jerusalem and
was responsible for the massacre of the Holy Innocents (cf. Mt 2:16); he was also
a nephew of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee at the time of our Lord's death.
Herod Agrippa I was a favorite of the emperor Caligula, who gradually gave him
more territory and allowed him to use the title of king. Agrippa I managed to ex-
tend his authority over all the territory his grandfather had ruled: Roman governors
had ruled Judea up to the year 41, but in that year it was given over to Herod. He
was a sophisticated type of person, a diplomat, so bent on consolidating his
power that he had became a master of intrigue and a total opportunist. For largely
political motives he practiced Judaism with a certain rigor.

2. James the Greater would have been martyred in the year 42 or 43. He was the
first Apostle to die for the faith and the only one whose death is mentioned in the
New Testament. The Liturgy of the Hours says of him: "The son of Zebedee and
the brother of John, he was born in Bethsaida. He witnessed the principal miracles
performed by our Lord and was put to death by Herod around the year 42. He is
held in special veneration in the city of Compostela, where a famous church is
dedicated to his name."

"The Lord permits this death," Chrysostom observes, "to show his murderers that
these events do not cause the Christians to retreat or desist" ("Hom. on Acts", 26).

5. "Notice the feelings of the faithful towards their pastors. They do not riot or rebel;
they have recourse to prayer, which can solve all problems. They do not say to
themselves: we do not count, there is no point in our praying for him. Their love led
them to pray and they did not think along those lines. Have you noticed what these
persecutors did without intending to? They made (their victims) more determined to\
stand the test, and (the faithful) more zealous and loving" ("Hom. on Acts", 26).

St Luke, whose Gospel reports our Lord's words on perseverance in prayer (cf.
11:13; 18:1-8), here stresses that God listens to the whole community's prayer for
Peter. He plans in his providence to save the Apostle for the benefit of the Church,
but he wants the outcome to be seen as an answer to the Church's fervent prayer.

7-10. The Lord comes to Peter's help by sending an angel, who opens theprison
and leads him out. This miraculous freeing of the Apostle is similar to what hap-
pened at the time of Peter and John's detention (5:19f) and when Paul and Silas
are imprisoned in Philippi (16:19ff).

This extraordinary event, which must be understood exactly as it is described,
shows the loving care God takes of those whom he entrusts with a mission. They
must strive to fulfill it, but they will "see" for themselves that he guides their steps
and watches over them.

2nd Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18

The Crown of Righteousness
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[6] For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure
has come. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept
the faith. [8] Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me
but also to all who have loved his appearing.

[17] For the Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the word fully,
that all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. [18]
The Lord will rescue me from every evil and save me for his heavenly kingdom.
To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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Commentary:

6-8. Conscious of his closeness to death, St Paul writes in poetic strain about
his life in the service of the Gospel, about the meaning of death and his hope of
heaven. The imagery he uses shows how he interprets his experience in the light
of faith. "On the point of being sacrificed": literally "poured out in sacrifice": death
is an offering to God, like the libations of oil poured on the altar of sacrifices.
Death is the beginning of a journey: "the point of my departure has come", the
anchor is being weighed, the sails unfurled.

The Christian life is like magnificent Games taking place in the presence of God,
who acts as the judge. In Greece the Games had close connections with religious
worship; St Paul presents the Christian life as a type of spiritual sport: "races"
indicates the continuous effort to achieve perfection (cf. Phil 3:14); training for
athletics indicates the practice of self-denial (cf. 1 Cor 9:26-27); fighting stands
for the effort required to resist sin even if that means death, as can happen in the
event of persecution (cf. Heb 12:4). It is well worthwhile taking part in this compe-
tition, because, as St John Chrysostom points out, "the crown which it bestows
never withers. It is not made of laurel leaves, it is not a man who places it on our
head, it has not been won in the presence of a crowd made up of men, but in a
stadium full of angels. In earthly competitions a man fights and strives for days
and the only reward he receives is a crown which withers in a matter of hours
[. . .]. That does not happen here: the crown he is given is a glory and honor
whose brilliance lasts forever ("Hom. on 2 Tim, ad loc".).

All Christians who "have loved his appearing", that is, who stay true to Christ,
share St Paul's expectation of eternal life. "We who know about the eternal joys
of the heavenly fatherland should hasten to reach it by the more direct route" (St
Gregory the Great, "In Evangelia Homiliae", 16).

9-18. In his letters St Paul often asks people to do things for him; his messages
here are particularly moving, given as they are on the eve of his martyrdom. He
is following the example of Christ: he puts his trust in God even though his friends
desert him (vv. 10-12, 16); his enemies harass him more than ever, yet he for-
gives them (vv. 14, 16); in the midst of his sufferings he praises the Lord (v. 18).
His mention of Thessalonica, Galatia, Dalmatia, Ephesus, Troas, Corinth and
Miletus show how warmly he remembers places which were very receptive to the
Christian message. These few verses constitute a mini-biography.

His generosity of spirit is shown by the fact that he mentions so many disciples
by name; to all he gave of his best; some of them fell by the wayside but most
of them stayed faithful; some are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles or in
other letters, but for others this is the only mention in the New Testament. How-
ever, all without exception must have been very present to the Apostle who be-
came "all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor 9:22).

16-17. St Paul points to the contrast between the way men treat him and the way
God does. Because of the hazards involved in staying with Paul or defending him,
some of his friends, even some of his closest friends, have deserted him; whereas
God stays by his side.

"You seek the company of friends who, with their conversation and affection,
with their friendship, make the exile of this world more bearable for you. There
is nothing wrong with that, although friends sometimes let you down. But how is
it you don't frequent daily with greater intensity the company, the conversation,
of the great Friend, who never lets you down?" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 88).


Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-19

Peter's Profession of Faith and His Primacy
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[13] Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His
disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of Man is?" [14] And they said, "Some
say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
[15] He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" [16] Simon Peter replied,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." [17] And Jesus answered him,
"Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to
you, but My Father who is in Heaven. [18] And I tell you, you are Peter, and on
this rock I will build My Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against
it. [19] I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind
on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be
loosed in Heaven."

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Commentary:

13-20. In this passage St. Peter is promised primacy over the whole Church, a
primacy which Jesus will confer on him after His Resurrection, as we learn in the
Gospel of St. John (cf. John 21:15-18). This supreme authority is given to Peter
for the benefit of the Church. Because the Church has to last until the end of time,
this authority will be passed on to Peter's successors down through history. The
Bishop of Rome, the Pope, is the successor of Peter.

The solemn Magisterium of the Church, in the First Vatican Council, defined the
doctrine of the primacy of Peter and his successors in these terms: "We teach
and declare, therefore, according to the testimony of the Gospel that the primacy
of jurisdiction over the whole Church was immediately and directly promised to
and conferred upon the blessed Apostle Peter by Christ the Lord. For to Simon,
Christ had said, `You shall be called Cephas' (John 1:42). Then, after Simon had
acknowledged Christ with the confession, `You are the Christ, the Son of the living
God' (Matthew 16:16), it was to Simon alone that the solemn words were spoken
by the Lord: `Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona. For flesh and blood has not re-
vealed this to you, but My Father who is in Heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build My Church, and the powers of Hell shall not prevail
against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you
bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and what you loose on earth shall be
loosed in Heaven' (Matthew 16:17-19). And after His Resurrection, Jesus con-
ferred upon Simon Peter alone the jurisdiction of supreme shepherd and ruler over
\His whole fold with the words, `Feed My lambs....Feed My sheep' (John 21:15-17)
[...]

"Now, what Christ the Lord, Supreme Shepherd and watchful guardian of the flock,
established in the person of the blessed Apostle Peter for the perpetual safety and
everlasting good of the Church must, by the will of the same, endure without inter-
ruption in the Church which was founded on the rock and which will remain firm until
the end of the world. Indeed, `no one doubts, in fact it is obvious to all ages, that
the holy and most blessed Peter, Prince and head of the Apostles, the pillar of faith,
and the foundation of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and the Redeemer of the human race; and even
to this time and forever he lives,' and governs, `and exercises judgment in his suc-
cessors' (cf. Council of Ephesus), the bishops of the holy Roman See, which he
established and consecrated with his blood. Therefore, whoever succeeds Peter
in this Chair holds Peter's primacy over the whole Church according to the plan of
Christ Himself [...]. For this reason, `because of its greater sovereignty,' it was
always `necessary for every church, that is, the faithful who are everywhere, to be
in agreement' with the same Roman Church [...]

"We think it extremely necessary to assert solemnly the prerogative which the
only-begotten Son of God deigned to join to the highest pastoral office. "And so,
faithfully keeping to the tradition received from the beginning of the Christian faith,
for the glory of God our Savior, for the exaltation of the Catholic religion, and for the
salvation of Christian peoples, We, with the approval of the sacred council, teach
and define that it is a divinely revealed dogma: that the Roman Pontiff, when he
speaks "ex cathedra", that is, when, acting in the office of shepherd and teacher
of all Christians, he defines, by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, doctrine
concerning faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, possesses through
the divine assistance promised to him in the person of St. Peter, the infallibility with
which the divine Redeemer willed His Church to be endowed in defining doctrine
concerning faith or morals; and that such definitions of the Roman Pontiff are there-
fore irreformable because of their nature, but not because of the agreement of the
Church.


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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.


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