June 29 - "Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul" - pray for the Church!

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we celebrate today’s Solemnity of the two great Apostles, St. Peter, the first Pope of the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Jesus, and St. Paul the great Apostle of the early Church, I wonder how many Catholics today pray for the Church. These are difficult and dangerous times for all of us, in which we need to pray with greater attention and devotion.

Hopefully, you will take time to listen to God speaking today in the Mass readings for this Solemnity. Mass readings can be found at: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062920.cfm

In the First reading we see Peter imprisoned for his faithfulness to Christ, and I am sure the Christians at that time were praying fervently for him. They were heard, as God sent an Angel to miraculously lead Peter out of the Roman prison.

What a beautiful Responsorial Psalm and Reading 2!

R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear Him.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad…(from psalm 34)

Reading 2

I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for His appearance.

The Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat
and will bring me safe to His heavenly Kingdom.
To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. ( from 2 Tm 4)

Finally an excerpt from today’s Gospel, the words of Jesus and Peter:

…He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build My Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it… (from Mt. 16)

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your Faithful. Jesus we trust in You! Mother of the Church pray for us!

 

[Vico]

From Byzantine Vespers:

What crowns of praises shall we weave Peter and Paul?
They were separated in the body but united in spirit,
and out standing as the preachers of God.
The one in deed led the apostles, while the other labored more than all the rest.
Christ our God, showing great mercy, fittingly crowns them with immortal glory.

Toparion - Tone 4

Leaders of the apostles, teachers of the world,
intercede with the Lord of all
to grant peace to the world and abundant mercy to our souls.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Vico,

Thanks so much for the beautiful prayers! How we need that Love for one another that so united the first Christians, that others would say: “See how they love one another!”

Let us like Saints Peter and Paul and all the Saints ask for God’s Grace to love one another as He has loved us!

Mary, Queen of Apostles, Queen of All Saints, and Angels, Mother of God and our Mother, pray for the Church on earth and the Church in Purgatory that one day we may all rejoice together in Heaven, Amen.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie and DoGodsBidding,

Thanks for your “hearts” on this Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. How we need to pray for the Church with Mary our Mother! I recently finished reading an old book (copyright 1952) written by Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, entitled “The World’s First Love” and somewhere in that book he wrote that if Judas had recourse to Mary before hanging himself – even in the very act of hanging himself, he may be in heaven. Ven. Fulton Sheen asks us then, how could we not pray: “Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death!” It is a beautiful book – someone gave to my husband and me - and I’m grateful to have read it.

In Mel Gibson’s film “Passion of the Christ”, based on the writings of Catherine Emmerich,
Peter does go to Mary weeping when Jesus is condemned to die. We can’t know for certain if Judas is in hell or if anyone is — although the possibility of heaven or hell at the end of time remains a “possibility” for any of us.

Mary, Refuge of Sinners, is a Mother to the end – as she was on earth – so Mary continues loving her children today. How many appearances she has made to warn us! Yet so many do not listen or obey her words of warning - worse they defame her statues, utter blasphemies against her and her Son and even keep the truth of Jesus and Mary from their children.

Let us pray, with Mary, for the Church! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our Death, Amen.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Neithan and Titivillus,

Thanks so much for your “hearts” and your love for the Church. I assume anyone who read the thread has a love for the Church which prompted them to read it! It is so important for us to do as God’s Word tells us: “Pray always!”

In Luke 18:1 we hear Jesus tell the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge; St Luke writes in His Gospel:

Then He told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.

The whole of Chapter 18 encourages us toward never growing weary of Prayer but to pray always; Jesus tells us:

The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of His chosen ones who call out to Him day and night? Will He be slow to answer them? I tell you, He will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Lk 18 : 6-8)

When we pray we cannot merely say “words” – as St. Teresa of Avila warned her sisters, telling them, if they did not pray with attention and devotion they may be moving their lips but they are not praying!

The Letter of James also warns us that we need to pray with faith and NO doubting! (cf James 1: 6-8)

…he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.

Prayer is so important and Mary our Mother teaches us, as Mother of the Church, how to pray. She repeats to us those words she spoke to the servants at Cana: “Do whatever He tells you!”

Let us listen to our Mother and pray with her who always listened to Jesus and pondered all in her heart. Mary, full of Grace, did the Truth she heard and prayed always. Thanks again for your hearts!

 

[Dan_Defender]

My favorite quote from St Peter:

‘This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ - Acts 4:11-12

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Dan,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, how good for us all to remember whenever we experience rejection that Jesus was rejected by men and women of His Time on earth, but He came to do the Will of His Father, Who loved the world so Much He gave Jesus to us to be our saviour sending Him through Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter was not rejected by Jesus or Mary and He found hs way back to Jesus through many tears. Our world today and many in the Church need to remember Peter’s words, and begin to weep remembering Jesus – “…for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we may be saved.” (Acts 4)

Holy Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, pray for us!