Are You a St. Peter or a St. Paul?

The History of the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

On June 29th, the Church celebrates the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. Despite some legends to the contrary, these two early Christian giants were likely not martyred on the same day, so why do they share a feast day?

The reason seems to be manifold. Rome in the early days of Christianity practiced a pagan religion, and mythology was important to the Roman religious culture. Perhaps the most important myth told of Romulus and Remus, the supposed founders of the city of Rome. These twins were reportedly the sons of Mars, the Roman god of war, and eventually overthrew their great-uncle, the reigning king who had ousted Romulus and Remus's grandfather from the throne. Romulus and Remus then wanted to found a great city, but disagreements led to Romulus killing Remus; Romulus then founded the city of Rome, naming it after himself, and eventually became deified as the god Quirinius after his death. 

Myths such as this were deeply important to the Roman culture. As Christianity became ascendant in the great city, the Christian leaders looked not to simply overthrow the local culture, but rather adopt certain practices and rituals and Christianize them -- an evangelization technique replicated throughout the centuries as Christianity spread. So, Christian leaders began to honor Sts. Peter and Paul on the same day the pagans celebrated Romulus and Remus. These two men were widely regarded as the preeminent leaders of the faith in the decades following Christ's death, and so it was fitting to honor them on the same day. Romulus and Remus may have founded the city of Rome, but it was the saints Peter and Paul who helped established it as a bastion of Christianity, rededicating it to the true faith.

Who are St. Peter and St. Paul?

We meet St. Peter first in the Gospels with his brother Andrew; both are fishermen that Jesus recruits as his first apostles. From this humble beginning, Peter surely has no idea of the path he is about to walk. Peter, whose original name is Simon, is a prominent character throughout the Gospels. He's present at the Transfiguration and famously goes out to meet Jesus when He is walking on water. He's among the first to acknowledge Jesus' divinity, but also is quick to deny Jesus three times during the Passion. When Jesus changes his name by declaring, “I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church," (Matthew 16:18), it is clear that Peter will occupy a position of leadership in the movement after Jesus' death. That he does; he makes his way to Rome, founding the church there and becoming its first bishop. Under his leadership, Rome becomes the central seat and his bishopric the preeminent episcopate for the faith, evolving into the papacy as we know it. St. Peter was martyred most likely in 64 AD, requesting to be crucified upside-down because he felt himself unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ.

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St. Paul follows a much different path to the faith than Peter. A Roman citizen from modern-day Turkey, Saul (as he was originally called) is virulently anti-Christian in the wake of Jesus' death and ascension. He persecutes Christians throughout Jerusalem, even participating in the execution of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. However, he experiences a radical conversion while on the road to Damascus when he is knocked to the ground and hears the voice of Jesus, who directs him to be baptized. After three years of intense study, he now identifies with his Roman name, Paul, and evangelizes throughout the whole Roman empire, becoming the prototypical missionary, the original Christian theologian, and the mouthpiece for the burgeoning faith. He is eventually imprisoned and beheaded, probably in 67 AD. 

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Whose Path Will You Follow?

Peter and Paul share some obvious similarities -- both were strong leaders, with enough courage to withstand the persecution of the early Church, even unto death. Both could be stubborn and hard-headed. Yet if you read into their stories, you will see different personalities transformed by Christ, working toward His end. 

St. Peter has an open disposition, humble and courageous enough from the beginning to heed Jesus' initial call to follow him. However, he is also tempestuous; we often see his faith or courage wavering in dramatic ways. He will boldly declare his faith in Jesus, but at a moment of anxiety lose sight of Him. We can clearly see this at two prominent moments in the Gospels. The first is when he sees Jesus walking on the water. He descends from the boat to go out and meet Him, but begins to sink after a gust of wind frightens him. Once Jesus reaches out to save him, He asks Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). The second time is during the Passion. Despite brashly defending Jesus during His arrest by attacking the high priest's servant, Peter quickly descends into fear during the trial. As Jesus had predicted (and Peter had protested), he denies his familiarity with Jesus three times when questioned by speculating onlookers. However, Jesus has ordained Peter for greatness, and with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter seems to be reborn with the gift of fortitude. In his subsequent ministry, Peter is the rock Jesus intended him to be, imbuing the new Church with stability and strength. He stays the course through to the end, establishing a line of convincing authority so that the Church may endure and never again denying the Lord.

St. Paul doesn't seem to have Peter's vacillation. He fully dedicates himself to the path he is on, no matter what it is. When we first meet him, he is zealous in his persecution of Christians, seeming to be completely convinced of his righteousness. Once he converts, he uses that dedication to ceaselessly evangelize, doing more than any other disciple to spread Jesus' message and develop early Church theology. And though he retains that personality of decisiveness and stubbornness, it is softened by a humility that he could only gain through the grace of God. Whereas Peter represents the stability of Church authority, Paul represents the missionary spirit that we should always aspire to. 

No matter which of these two pillars of the Church you identify more with, pray that you end up where they did -- submitting to Jesus, and in doing so, using your personality, gifts, and talents to furthering His kingdom. May your efforts be rewarded as theirs were -- with eternal life with Him in heaven!

Sts. Peter and Paul pray for us!