29 June St Peter (First Century): Liturgically, this is also the feast day of St
Paul, but Paul is usually commemorated on 25 January, the feast of his
conversion. Peter’s story is told in the New Testament up to the ‘Council of
Jerusalem’(50/51 AD). He came from Bethsaida in Galilee and was the
brother of Andrew. His name was Simon, Jesus gave him the name Cephas
(Greek for ’rock’, Petros is another word for ‘rock’) He was given a
leadership role in the texts, in artistic tradition he is depicted as burly and
bearded, contrasted to Paul who is shown as thin and ascetic. He was the
first to address the crowds at Pentecost, performed the first healing in the
name of the Lord, faced up to the Sanhedrin and baptised the Roman
centurion Cornelius. He left James in charge of the Church in Jerusalem and
went on missionary journeys. The first letter of Peter was written ‘from
Babylon’, thought to be from Rome. Peter’s association with Rome is not
confirmed by scripture, but archaeological evidence seems to suggest it. It
might be an invention of the Catholic Church, maybe to elevate Peter above
Paul.
He is said to have been martyred in Rome under the emperor Nero.
Tradition is, he was crucified upside down, as not to be seen imitating Jesus.
There is evidence from the catacombs that there was devotion to him and
Paul in Rome at that time. Constantine built a basilica in the fourth century to
house his tomb (holding bones moved from the catacombs).
He is the patron saint of fishermen and regarded as holder of the keys to the
kingdom of heaven.
Brigitte Williams
Eucharistic Thoughts
Be gentle when you touch bread
Let it not be uncared for,
unwanted
So often bread is taken for
granted
There's so much beauty in bread
Beauty of rain and toil
Beauty of sun and soil
The winds of the air caressed it
Christ often blessed it
Be gentle when you touch bread.
Be loving when you drink wine
So freely received, so joyfully
shared
In the spirit of him who cared
Ripe as the sun-kissed day
Fruit of the vine, tended and
dressed
Grapes into wine, gathered and
pressed
The winds of the air caressed it
Christ often blessed it
Be loving when you drink wine.
Donated by Helen McBride
Taken from May magazine -” By the Way Together”
St Augustine Dumbarton & St Mungo Alexandria
StOM Page 14