Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

Feast of Saints Peter and Paul June 29, 2011

This is an ancient, 4th century, beautiful depiction of the Princes of the Apostles, Saints Peter and Paul, found at the Roman Church of Saint Costanza. They flank Jesus and seem to be listening to their master, learning from Him so that they in turn may teach the sheep.

These two men died for Christ as martyrs in Rome during the persecution ordered by Emperor Nero in 64 AD. Peter was executed near the Vatican Hill and buried in a simple, shallow grave on the hillside. Paul was decapitated outside the city and buried in a cemetery on the Via Ostiense.

Their blood, along with the blood of countless martyrs, fertilized the ground for the Church of Rome to grow and flourish with a strong faith. Peter and Paul preached the Faith to the Romans becoming the living link between Christ himself and the Church of Rome. We know Paul longed to reach Rome, confessing to the Romans in the letter he wrote to them, “I remember you constantly, always asking in my prayers that somehow by God’s will I may at last find my way clear to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may share with you some spiritual.” Peter and Paul continue to be today the link between Rome’s rich faith and heritage and Our Lord.

This truth is portrayed in art on the principal doors of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Unfortunately I never took a picture of these doors, even though I stopped in front of them weekly for almost two years while I led tours of the Basilica. The picture below was not taken by me.

The doors narrate a brief, yet important story. On the top panel, you see Jesus on the left and Mary on the right. On the middle panel you see Saint Paul holding a sword and Scripture next to Saint Peter handing on keys to a kneeling Pope and holding on to Scripture. These symbols, the sword and the keys, identify Peter and Paul. Saint Paul holds a sword to show the manner by which he died. Saint Peter holds the keys since Jesus entrusted to him the keys of the kingdom. Both hold Scripture since both wrote letters included in the canon of Scripture. The lower panels represent the martyrdom of these two men.


The door portrays Rome’s link to Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Jesus, son of Mary, was entrusted to Peter and Paul who reached Rome and died for Christ in Rome. Simple, yet central to our faith as heirs of the heritage of Rome.

Happy Feast of Saints Peter and Paul!

Peter and Paul, pray for us

All the pictures are mine, all rights reserved.


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