{"id":197252,"date":"2018-06-30T22:29:15","date_gmt":"2018-06-30T19:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/basilica.ro\/?p=197252"},"modified":"2018-06-30T22:32:18","modified_gmt":"2018-06-30T19:32:18","slug":"eminent-missionaries-and-steadfast-intercessors-for-the-life-and-unity-of-the-church-patriarch-daniel-about-sts-peter-and-paul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arhiva.basilica.ro\/en\/eminent-missionaries-and-steadfast-intercessors-for-the-life-and-unity-of-the-church-patriarch-daniel-about-sts-peter-and-paul\/","title":{"rendered":"Eminent missionaries and steadfast intercessors for the life and unity of the Church: Patriarch Daniel about Sts Peter and Paul"},"content":{"rendered":"

Patriarch Daniel Friday spoke about Saints Peter and Paul calling them \u2018great teachers of the faith, eminent missionaries and steadfast intercessors for the life and unity of Christ\u2019s Church.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

During his homily delivered at the Patriarchal Cathedral on the feast of the Holy and Glorious Apostles Peter and Paul, June 29, 2018, His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel focused on the common aspects of their life and missionary work and offered them as examples to be followed in preaching the Gospel.<\/p>\n

\u2018By their works,\u2019 His Beatitude said, \u2018they urge us to strengthen our faith, to preach the Gospel, to love the Church and to work for the healing and salvation of humans, but never by counting on ourselves more than on God\u2019s grace which is made manifest in Christ and through Christ.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018United in the same faith in Jesus Christ\u2019<\/h4>\n

The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church noted that although Peter and Paul \u2018were different as regards their place of birth, their cultural, intellectual formation, they were united in the same faith in Jesus Christ.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Patriarch said that the two Leaders of the Apostles, one a fisherman and the other a teacher of the Law, \u2018were called by Christ to proclaim the same Gospel of his merciful love.\u2019<\/p>\n

Patriarch Daniel highlighted \u2018their fervent faith in Christ, the Son of God, and their spiritual connection with Him.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Romanian Patriarch spoke about the witness of the two apostles to Christ\u2019s divinity saying, \u2018Saint Peter testifies that Jesus is not simply the son of Mary, saying: You are Christ the Son of the living God. Also, Saint Paul bears witness that in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018A strong feeling of repentance\u2019<\/h4>\n

The Patriarch also pointed to a common virtue of the two apostles: \u2018they both had a strong feeling of repentance.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018St Peter denied Christ three times, but then he wept bitterly as the Holy Gospel relates. He loved and professed Christ until martyrdom.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Saint Paul had persecuted Christ\u2019s Church, but then he regretted throughout his life. He worked in the Church and for the Church more than any other, as though he wanted to repay his error of having persecuted the Church.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Who will separate us from the love of Christ?\u2019<\/h4>\n

A strong love for Christ and the Church can be met at both apostles.<\/p>\n

The Patriarch reminded that St Peter urged Christians to draw closer to Christ and \u2018to keep the true faith and the unity of the Church ignoring the false prophecies.\u2019<\/p>\n

Patriarch Daniel said that St Paul had a sacrificial love for Christ and quoted the Epistle to Romans saying, \u2018For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,\u00a0neither the present nor the future,\u00a0nor any powers,\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God\u00a0that is in Christ Jesus our Lord\u2019<\/p>\n

These words of St Paul \u2018show us that his love of Christ was so strong that nothing could frighten him, nothing could deviate him from preaching the Gospel of Christ.\u2019<\/p>\n

Icon of Sts Peter and Paul<\/h4>\n

At the end of his homily, the Patriarch of Romania offered some interpretations of the icon of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.<\/p>\n

\u2018They together represent the Church of Christ or the communion of Israel (Saint Peter) with all the peoples of the world who believe in Christ (Saint Paul).\u2019<\/p>\n

The patriarch pointed to the keys that Peter holds in his hand saying that \u2018they represent repentance and forgiveness of sins, humility and merciful love through which man an enter the kingdom of God.\u2019<\/p>\n

Referring to the sword held by St Paul, Patriarch Daniel said \u2018it represents the power of the holy word that distinguishes between heresy and truth, between selfishness and love, between death and life.\u2019<\/p>\n

Ending his speech, Patriarch Daniel urged everyone to pray to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul \u2018to grant us the power to be witnesses of Christ\u2019s love in today\u2019s world.\u2019<\/p>\n

Concelebrant for the Divine Liturgy was Patriarch Daniel\u2019s assistant bishop Varlaam of Ploiesti, secretary of the Holy Synod.<\/p>\n