St. Peter
Died: 64
Simon Peter or Cephas, the first pope, Prince of the Apostles, and founder, with St. Paul, of the see of Rome.
Peter was a native of Bethsaida, near Lake Tiberias, the son of John, and worked, like his brother St. Andrew, as a fisherman on Lake Genesareth. Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus, and Christ called Peter to become adisciple. In Luke is recounted the story that Peter caught so large an amount of fish that he fell down before the feet of Jesus and was told by the Lord, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men”. Jesus also gave Simon a new name: Cephas, or the rock. Becoming a disciple of Jesus, Peter acknowledged him as "... the Messiah, the son of the living God”. Christ responded by saying: "... you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church.... He added: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”. Peter was always listed as the first of the Apostles in all of the New Testament accounts and was a member of the inner circle of Jesus, with James and John. He is recorded more than any other disciple, and was at Jesus’ side at the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the Agony of the Garden of Gethsemane. He helped organize the Last Supper and played a major role in the events of the Passion. When the Master was arrested, he cut off the right ear of a slave of the high priest Malchus and then denied Christ three times as the Lord predicted. Peter then “went out and began to weep bitterly”. After the Resurrection, Peter went to the tomb with the “other disciple” after being told of the event by the women. The first appearance of the Risen Christ was before Peter, ahead of the other disciples, and when the Lord came before the disciples at Tiberias, he gave to Peter the famous command to “Feed my lambs.... Tend my sheep.... Feed my sheep”. In the time immediately after the Ascension, Peter stood as the unquestionable head of the Apostles, his position made evident in the Acts. He appointed the replacement of Judas Iscariot; he spoke first to the crowds that had assembled after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; he was the first Apostle to perform miracles in the name of the Lord; and he rendered judgment upon the deceitful Ananias and Sapphira. Peter was instrumental in bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles. He baptized the Roman pagan Cornelius, and at the Council of Jerusalem he gave his support to preaching to Gentiles, thereby permitting the new Church to become universal. Imprisoned by King Herod Agrippa, he was aided in an escape by an angel. He then resumed his apostolate in Jerusalem and his missionary efforts included travels to such cities of the pagan world as Antioch, Corinth, and eventually Rome. He made reference to the Eternal City in his first Epistle by noting that he writes from Babylon . It is certain that Peter died in Rome and that his martyrdom came during the reign of Emperor Nero, probably in 64. Testimony of his martyrdom is extensive, including Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea, St. Clement I of Rome, St. Ignatius, and St. Irenaeus. According to rich tradition, Peter was crucified on the Vatican Hill upside down because he declared himself unworthy to die in the same manner as the Lord. He was then buried on Vatican Hill, and excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica have unearthed his probable tomb, and his relics are now enshrined under the high altar of St. Peter’s. From the earliest days of the Church, Peter was recognized as the Prince of the Apostles and the first Supreme Pontiff; his see, Rome, has thus enjoyed the position of primacy over the entire Catholic Church. While Peter’s chief feast day is June 29, he is also honored on February 22 and November 18. In liturgical art, he is depicted as an elderly man holding a key and a book. His symbols include an inverted cross, a boat, and the cock.
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wasn't peter married in matthew 8 14 didn't it say he had a mother in law. therefore he was married I thought saints don't get married
You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." Mark 7:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8
BLESS THE LORD!!@!!
Thank you St. Peter for your intercession and prayers for making the impossible the possible. I thank you my Patron Saint! Glory to Jesus Christ our Lord!!!
Thank you St. Peter for helping remove blockages from my life and turning my not-so-good luck into great luck!
I appreciate you and everything you've done on my behalf!
St Peter pray for us
The Second Vatican Council did not "WORK" ?.....This is an uninformed, absurd statement !The Catholic Church could not have survived into the second millenium as smoothly as it has without the changes of the Second Vatican Council........Surely all of the changes have not been perfect but they did move a more informed Church out of the Middle Ages.
Having read all about Peter, I am utterly convinced that he was bitterly jealous of Jesus's love for Mary Magdalene. His attitude has contributed to the Vatican 'keeping women down' for the last 2000 years.
Jesus teachings are all that all that matters as He is God's Love.For all you know, God may be Female.
The next 2000 years will see the Catholic Church and all its man-made doctrines turned on its head.
Jan
St. Peter -please intercede for my with that she would repent and come back to Jesus and our marriage and Family. Please intercede for me, Blake, to have a stronger faith, belief, and RUN to Jesus when things look like they'll never get better. Also that my daughters Madison and Olivia's hearts would soften and return home. Thank you and bless you St. Peter.
Great article with excellent history back ground. I will pass it on to friends.
As St. Peter is know to be the patron Saint of feet. I pray to you St. Peter to heal my left foot.
In the name of Jesus I thank you St. Peter for healing me.
St. Peter, the head of Apostles, please intercede for me and my family in your prayers.
Why is this Wikipedia material included on a CATHOLIC website - or at least not edited?
Firstly, it contains misinformation. Not all of St. Peter's remains are beneath the alter in St Peter's Basilica. His skull resides above the alter in St John Lateran Cathedral in Rome along with the skull of St Paul.
Secondly as a Catholic, I'm interested in the teachings of the Magisterium of the universal CATHOLIC Church. I love my separated Protestan brothers and sisters, but I'm not particularly interested in revisionist history, or Protestant heresies as outlined in the Wikipedia article. These may have their place elsewhere, but on a CATHOLIC website?
Dear St. Peter, You were a righteous man, and yet, you encountered temptation, fear and lackness of faith, like a normal human being . Nevertheless, you repented and served the Lord throughout your life. Jesus has appointed you as the Leader of the Church, the rock Jesus referred to. Having been in this seat, as the first Pope in the Church in Rome, we look up at you as the implementor of Catholicism, with our Lord Jesus, as the Founder. Please intercede for us in our prayers of guiding St. Benedict XVI and all the bishops and clergies to teach what pleases you. Dear St. Peter make me an instrument in propagating the Catholic Faith. Amen.
Dear Saint Peter, please pray for Jacob that he finds the right path and for his parents that they find the strength and wisdom to lead him. Thank you.
St. Peter, fiery and feisty apostle of Christ, your encounters with Our Lord Jesus are most human. Human in the sense that we can identify with them. The story I love the most is the one in which you were asked by Jesus "Do you love me?" "Yes, Lord I love You". "Then feed my sheep, feed my lambs."
When Jesus asked you this question, you were slightly hurt and you replied, "Lord you know that I love you". Then only did you realize that Jesus was in fact giving you an opportunity to make up for your denial of Him three times. Help me take up the gift of making up for "missed opportunities" in my encounters with family and friends. Much as my tendency is to feel regret, which is a useless feeling, help me to seize the next opportunity to make up for my lapses. Thank you St. Peter, lucky have I been to have worshiped in your great Basilica in Rome. I ask for your special intercession from Christ for His healing of sick and disabled children. And for the grace of a new job for my daughter as well the birth of a healthy child for her. Just as Christ so mercifully healed your mother-in-law of her fever. Ask the same for us. Amen
This info is a blessing to all catholics and to all who know Christ founded only one church over Peter and the apostols
great site
Doin research on saints at scool very helpful info thanks! :)
Dear Apostle Peter, it is said that you are the prince of the apostles and the Rock of Christ. I testify from personal experiences of my life that you are a very powerful intercessor and incredibly generous helper to anyone who seeks your help. Most priests told me that its OK to address you as "Rocky" as it promotes intimacy and cennectedness. Dear Rocky, this time around I seek your help for a good mate of mine whose life is filled with fire & brimstone (HELL) each and every day, and as I write this message he is facing the temptation to commit suicide. Timmy was born on the first Sunday of April in 1976 to a Finnish family who immigrated to Sydney in 1970. Timmy is the youngest of the three boys and two sisters. The father was a hopless alcoholic who couldn't keep a job and Timmy's mother a sober and hardworking mother struggling every day to feed her family of six. Timmy was 16 years old when his older brother, a heroin addict, introduced him to heroin telling Timmhy that smoking heroin will not lead to addiction as it was like smoking marijuana. Well, it didn't take long for Timmy to become a hopeless junkie on the streets. In 2002, after many prayers and sacrifices we funded his treatment and until 13 months ago he remained clean and had a good job, played sport and loved restoring classic cars with great success. Timmy met and fell madly in love with a spunky young girl who was also a heroin addict. Timmy now sleeps on park benches and lives like an animal without any hope of getting out of his heroin hell. Dear Rocky, where there is life there is hope, so please storm the Gates of Heaven to save Timmy from death and restore him back to us, his heartbroken and terrified family. AMEN
This site is full of great information. Thank you.
I notice in my Church little mention of the Holy Mother or the Saints. I don't understand why. I am learning so much from our Saints.
St. Theresa of Lisieux for example.
Sometimes I wish the Church could just step back from Vatican II and admit that it didn't work. However, that's only my opinion.