“Sts Peter and Paul are for us teachers of faith and repentance, of forgiveness, of the unity of the Church and of the holiness of Christian life,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said on Monday, as the Church celebrated the feast of the two chief Apostles.
“They teach us to pray without ceasing, to perform good works inspired by merciful love, to preserve the unity of the Church and to fulfil the will of God in our lives.”
His Beatitude also recalled that the two Apostles are heavenly patrons of those deprived of their liberty and of many churches, before explaining the symbolism of their traditional iconographic representations.
The keys held by St Peter symbolise repentance and the forgiveness of sins, without which no one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, while the sword with which St Paul is often depicted represents “the sword of the word, which separates the truth of the faith from heresy, virtue from sin and holiness from selfish passions”.
God’s Wisdom Transcends Human Calculations
“Together they were called by Christ to serve Him in His plan for the salvation of the world. Here we see that the Lord Jesus Christ has an extraordinary way of choosing people,” the Patriarch of Romania said.
“We see that God chooses each person in a unique way. At the same time, His choosing is a call to active service—not because of their merits, but precisely because He has chosen them and calls them to mission and ministry.”
“Here we also notice that the Holy Apostle Paul is the thirteenth Apostle. God has the freedom to go beyond His own plan, as symbolised by the number twelve, which represented the twelve tribes of Israel. God sometimes thinks beyond mathematics—that is, beyond human calculations and symbolic limitations,” His Beatitude observed.
The Rock of Confession
Patriarch Daniel went on to outline several characteristics shared by the two Apostles, beginning with their confession of Christ’s divinity.
“St John Chrysostom explains the meaning of the Lord Jesus’ words: You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church,” His Beatitude noted.
“Jesus refers not to the person of Peter, who was changeable, but to Peter’s confession of the divinity of Jesus Christ.”
“Peter saw a man and confessed God. That is why the Lord Jesus said to him: Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Peter’s confession was therefore not the result of human intelligence but of divine revelation—that in Jesus dwells the fullness of the Godhead, as the Holy Apostle Paul himself later affirmed in his Epistle to the Colossians.”
What Else Sts Peter and Paul Share
Patriarch Daniel continued by pointing to other qualities shared by the two Apostles, including their profound experience of repentance and their ardent love for Christ.
“Because he believed himself more faithful to Christ than the other Apostles, St Peter denied Christ three times before a servant girl, saying that he did not know Him. Afterwards, however, he wept bitterly, repented, and Jesus forgave him and restored him to the ministry of Apostle and shepherd.”
“Likewise, throughout his life, the Holy Apostle Paul regretted that he had persecuted the Church before becoming an Apostle of Christ.”
Another bond uniting the two foremost Apostles is their shared martyrdom in Rome.
“They did not confuse the Roman Empire with the Kingdom of Heaven, nor did they offer sacrifices to the Roman emperor, who regarded himself as a god. Nevertheless, they respected the civil authorities and urged Christians to pray for those who govern society, so that these rulers might accomplish the will of God within society,” His Beatitude explained.
Patriarch Daniel concluded his homily by wishing “Many Years!” to all Christians bearing the names Peter, Paul or related forms.
The Patriarch of Romania participated in the Divine Liturgy celebrated on Monday at the historic Chapel of St George at the Patriarchal Residence.
Photo: Basilica.ro Files / Mircea Florescu
