PETER AND PAUL

July 12 (June 29) The Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Orthodox Tradition calls the Apostles the “Holy, Glorious and Supreme Ones”. This emphasizes the most important contribution of each of them to the spread of primitive Christianity.

Like the celebrations in honor of the Circumcision of the Lord, the Nativity and Beheading of the Baptist John, and, in the Russian tradition, the Intercession of the Virgin Mary, the day of Peter and Paul belongs to the so-called five Great Holidays of the liturgical year in Orthodoxy. In the Greek tradition, where the Day of the Intercession is not one of the great celebrations, there are four such holidays and this number also has certain biblical and sacred symbolism.

Moreover, unlike the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, neither Peter nor Paul were relatives of the Lord. Mary gave birth to the Savior, and John foretold His Coming and baptized Him. In this sense, the biographies of the Apostles were not directly related to the dogma of the Incarnation. However, with their calling and, most importantly, preaching, they continued the Work of God on earth.

The apostles Peter and Paul are mentioned in Scripture. Each of them, Peter during His earthly life, Paul after His Ascension and Pentecost, was called by Jesus the Lord. Peter and Paul preached the gospel, left behind sacred texts, and ended their lives with martyrdom for Christ.

Grace is the authentic communication between man and God in Christ. Only she is truly capable of healing any ailments, making up for shortcomings and promoting the spread of the Christian faith. The special and unique grace of the Holy Spirit was given to the Apostles.

The Apostle Peter stood at the head of the apostolic community in the first decades of its existence; he is the founder of the main Ancient Churches. Paul became the greatest, or, as they say in modern language, the most successful missionary in the history of Christianity of all times. It is surprising and paradoxical that despite the incredible development of technology, means of communication and media, no one has been able and will not be able to repeat the fruits of the labors of Saints Peter and Paul.