St. Peterthe Apostle

Peter walked closely with the Saviour and beheld His mighty works. He saw the Lord raise the daughter of Jairus, was present upon the holy mountain at the Transfiguration, and once, at the word of Christ, walked upon the water until his faith faltered and he cried, "Lord, save me," and the Lord stretched out His hand and held him (Matthew 14:28-31 (Matthew 14:28-31)). When many disciples turned back, Peter answered for the Twelve, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life" (John 6:68 (John 6:68)).

The Gospel preserves his great confession at Caesarea Philippi, when the Lord asked, "Whom say ye that I am?" and Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And the Lord blessed him, saying that flesh and blood had not revealed this to him but His Father in heaven, and He promised him the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:13-20 (Matthew 16:13-20)).

His zeal was sometimes wounded by weakness. On the night of the Lord's passion, though he had vowed to die with Him, Peter denied his Master three times, and when the cock crowed he remembered the word of Christ and went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:54-62 (Luke 22:54-62)). Yet Christ did not cast him away. After the Resurrection, by the Sea of Tiberias, the Lord asked him three times, "Lovest thou Me?" and three times restored him, entrusting him again to feed His sheep (John 21:15-19 (John 21:15-19)).

After the Lord's Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter stood up with boldness and preached the crucified and risen Christ, and on that day about three thousand souls were added to the Church (Acts 2:14-41 (Acts 2:14-41)). The Acts of the Apostles shows the Lord working signs through his ministry, healing the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the temple (Acts 3:1-8 (Acts 3:1-8)), so that even the sick were brought into the streets in hope that Peter's shadow might fall on them (Acts 5:15 (Acts 5:15)).

He proclaimed the word also to the Gentiles, baptizing Cornelius the centurion and his household. He wrote two catholic epistles, 1 Peter (1 Peter 1:1) and 2 Peter (2 Peter 1:1), to strengthen the believers in faith, in holiness, and in patient hope amid suffering, exhorting them, "Cast all your care upon Him; for He careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7 (1peter 5:7)).

In his second epistle he warned them against false teachers and stirred up their minds to remember the words spoken by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord (2 Peter 3:1-2 (2 Peter 3:1-2)).

The Coptic Synaxarium commemorates his martyrdom together with St. Paul on the fifth of Abib. In the days of the emperor Nero, Peter was seized in Rome and condemned to be crucified. The tradition remembered in the Synaxarium says that Peter asked to be crucified with his head downward, counting himself unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord. Thus he finished his course, kept the faith, and delivered his pure soul into the hand of Christ, whom he had loved and confessed.

May his prayers be with us. Amen.