Patrick Comerford
We are in Ordinary time and today is both the Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which gives a popular name to Peter-tide ordinations, and the Second Sunday after Trinity (Trinity II, 29 June 2025).
I hope to be at the Parish Eucharist in Saint Mary and Saint Giles Church, Stony Stratford this morning. Later today, the annual Greek Festival, Ελληνικο Γλεντι, takes place from 12 noon to 5 in Swinfen Harris Church Hall and the grounds of the Greek Orthodox Church on London Road, Stony Stratford, with live Greek music, traditional songs and dance by the Greek Brothers and Delta Dancers, Greek food and coffee, and a bar.
Before today begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning to give thanks, to reflect, to pray and to read in these ways:
1, reading today’s Gospel reading;
2, a short reflection;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;
4, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.
Matthew 16: 13-19 (NRSVA):
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ 14 And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ 15 He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ 16 Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ 17 And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’
Today’s Reflection:
This morning’s reading at the Eucharist (Matthew 16: 13-19) follows yesterday’s reading about Jesus healing Simon Peter’s mother-in-law in her home in Capernaum (Matthew 8: 5-17), and we read today of Peter’s dramatic confession of faith and the promises of his future ministry.
During the past week, I marked the 25th anniversary of my ordination as deacon in 2000 and the 24th anniversary of my ordination as priest in 2001, attending the Patronal Festival Eucharist in the Chapel of Saint John’s Hospital, Lichfield, and Choral Evensong in Lichfield Cathedral. In recent days, many of my ordained colleagues have been posting photographs on social media celebrating the anniversaries of their ordinations too.
In the Calendar of the Church of England, today (29 June 2025) may be observed as the Festival of Peter and Paul; or as the Festival of Peter, alone; or as the Second Sunday after Trinity (Trinity II). In Anglican tradition, Petertide is one of the two traditional periods for the ordination of new priests and deacons – the other being Michaelmas, around 29 September.
The Cambridge poet-priest Malcolm Guite has said on his blog that Saint Peter’s Day and this season are appropriate for ordinations because Saint Peter is ‘the disciple who, for all his many mistakes, knew how to recover and hold on, who, for all his waverings was called by Jesus “the rock,” who learned the threefold lesson that every betrayal can ultimately be restored by love.’
Saint Peter argues with Saint Paul at Antioch, and Paul rebukes Peter for seemingly trying to insist that Gentiles must become Jews if they are to convert to Christianity (see Galatians 2: 11-13). But if Saint Peter gets it wrong in Antioch, he goes on to get it right at the first Council of the Church in Jerusalem (see Acts 15: 7-20). He later refers to Saint Paul as ‘our beloved brother’ and his letters as ‘scripture,’ even when they may be difficult to understand (see II Peter 3: 16-17).
A later Church tradition says Saint Peter and Saint Paul taught together in Rome, founded Christianity in the city, and suffered martyrdom at the same time, so that an icon of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, standing side-by-side, is a popular icon of Church unity and ecumenism in the Orthodox Church.
In the Orthodox Church, Saint Peter and Saint Paul are seen as figures of Church Unity, sharing a common faith and mission despite their differences. They are often seen as paired, flanking images at entrances to churches, and the icon of Christian Unity in the Orthodox tradition shows the Apostles Peter and Paul embracing each other – signs of the early Church overcoming its differences and affirming its diversity.
As they embrace each other in these icons, Peter and Paul are almost wrestling, arms around each other, beards so close they are almost intertwining. This icon reminds me of Psalm 133:
How very good and pleasant it is
when [brothers] live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down over the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
life for evermore.
So, despite many readings of the New Testament, especially the Acts of the Apostles, that see Peter and Paul in conflict with each other rather than complementing each other, they can be models for Church Unity.
We may rejoice in the Church that our differences may complement each other. Pope Francis marked the feast of Saint Peter and Paul in 2020 by stressing the importance of unity in the Church and allowing ourselves to be challenged by God, urging people to spend less time complaining about what they see going wrong, and more time in prayer.
He noted that Saint Peter and Saint Paul were two very different men who ‘could argue heatedly’ but who ‘saw one another as brothers, as happens in close-knit families where there may be frequent arguments but unfailing love.’
God, he said, ‘did not command us to like one another, but to love one another. He is the one who unites us, without making us all alike.’
Today’s Prayers (Sunday 29 June 2025, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Trinity II):
‘We Believe, We Belong?’ is the theme this week (29 June to 5 July) in Pray with the World Church, the prayer diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel). This theme is introduced today with reflections by Rachael Anderson, former Senior Communications and Engagement Manager, USPG:
‘The USPG Annual Conference is a highlight for both staff and supporters in our calendar of events. As you pray this week, many (maybe including you!) will be joining together for three days at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick to listen to inspiring talks, take part in interactive workshops, worship together and of course get the chance to reconnect with USPG friends, new and old.
‘The theme of the conference is “We Believe, We Belong?” and centres around the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed (AD 325) – a key summary of our common faith. Delegates from across the Anglican Communion will be reflecting on how we deepen this fellowship and commitment to each other across the wonderful diversity of cultures, contexts and languages within the Communion. We are delighted that members of USPG’s Communion-Wide Advisory Group will be in attendance and speaking to these subjects within their own contexts.
‘We will be exploring how the core truths of the Bible unite us, but also critically examine whether all people feel like they belong within the Church, especially concerning USPG’s key areas of championing justice - gender, economic, environmental and race.
‘We look forward to the learning and growth we will achieve during this time together.
‘For updates of the conference as it happens, follow us on social media @USPGglobal.’
The USPG prayer diary today (Sunday 29 June 2025, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Trinity II) invites us to pray by reading and meditating on Matthew 16: 13-19.
The Collect:
Almighty God,
whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul
glorified you in their death as in their life:
grant that your Church,
inspired by their teaching and example,
and made one by your Spirit,
may ever stand firm upon the one foundation,
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who i and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Post-Communion Prayer:
Almighty God,
who on the day of Pentecost
sent your Holy Spirit to the apostles
with the wind from heaven and in tongues of flame,
filling them with joy and boldness to preach the gospel:
by the power of the same Spirit
strengthen us to witness to your truth
and to draw everyone to the fire of your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yesterday’s reflections
Continued tomorrow
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition copyright © 2021, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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