The Martyrdom of Sts . Peter and Paul, the Apostles

On this day, the two great saints Peter and Paul, were martyred . Peter was from Bethsaida, and hewas a fisherman . The Lord chose him on The Second Day of His baptism after He chose Andrewhis brother . He had fervent faith and strong zeal . When the Lord asked His disciples: "Who domen say that I am?" Sothey answered, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of theprophets ." . . . Simeon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God ."(Mat . 16:13-20) After he received the grace of the Holy Spirit, he went around in the worldpreaching of the crucified Christ, and he converted many to the faith . God wrought great andinnumerable signs and wonders by his hands . He wrote two catholic Epistles to the believers .When he came to the city of Rome, he found there St . Paul the Apostle . Through their preaching,most of the people of Rome believed, so Nero seized Peter and commanded to crucify him . Peterasked them to crucify him head downwards, and he delivered up his soul into the hand of theLord .As of St . Paul the Apostle, he was born in Tarsus two years before the advent of the Savior . Hewas a Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee . He was well learned in theLaw of the Torah, and he was jealous for it . He persecuted the Christians .When they stoned St . Stephen, Paul was guarding the clothes of those who were stoning him . Hetook from Caiaphas, the high priest, letters to the synagogues of Damascus, to bind the Christiansand bring them to Jerusalem . As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a lightshone around him from heaven . Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him,"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And the Lordsaid, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting . It is hard for you to kick against the goads ." ThenHe ordered him to go to Ananias in Damascus, who baptized him, and he received his sight atonce . He was filled by the grace of the Comforter, and he proclaimed boldly the Faith . He wentaround in the world preaching of the crucified Christ . He suffered much beatings, imprisonment,and was bound with fetters, some of which are mentioned in the book of the Acts of the Apostlesand in his Epistles .418He went to Rome and proclaimed the Faith there and many believed by his hands . He wrote forthem the Epistle to the Romans which was the first of his fourteen Epistles .Finally, Nero seized him, tortured him severely and ordered his head cut off . While St . Paul waspassing along with the executioner, he met a damsel who was a kinswoman of the Emperor Nero,and who had believed through him . She walked along with St . Paul, weeping, to where theycarried out the sentence . He comforted her and asked her for her veil . He wrapped his head withthe veil, and asked her to return back . The executioner cut off his head and left it wrapped in theveil of the young girl, and that was in the year 67 A .D . The young girl met the executioner on hisway back to the Emperor, and asked him about Paul and he replied, "He is lying where I left himand his head is wrapped in your veil ." She told him, "You are lying, for he and Peter had justpassed by me, they were arrayed in the apparel of kings, and had crowns decorated with jewels ontheir heads, and they gave me my veil, and here it is ." She showed it to the executioner, and tothose who were with him . They marvelled, and believed on the Lord Christ .God wrought by the hands of Peter and Paul many great signs and wonders, that they even carriedthe sick out into the streets . . . that as Peter came by . . . his shadow might fall on them . . . and theywere all healed . (Acts 5:15) The handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from Paul's body to thesick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them . (Acts 19:12)May their prayers be with us, and Glory be to God forever . Amen .