Icon Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Icon of Saints Apostles Peter and Paul with handmade silkscreen print on a polished gold background in various dimensions.

All images of the Orthodox calendar are made in any size.

They celebrate on 29 June each year.

The Apostles Peter and Paul are the two greatest apostles of the Christian church.

The Apostle Peter is the “stone upon which I will build my church” as Jesus said.

The Apostle Paul, author of about half of the books of the New Testament, was called an apostle and saint, and was one of the most important figures in Christianity. He was given the name “Apostle to the Gentiles” because he wanted everyone, not just the Jews, to join the Christian religion.

The Apostle Peter came from Bethsaida of Galilee and was the son of Jonah, brother of the Apostle Andrew the Proto-Cretan. Peter and Andrew were fishermen on Lake Gennesaret. He had married in Capernaum, where he and his mother-in-law lived with his family.

As the Gospel tells us, when Jesus arrived at the Lake of Gennesaret, he met the two brothers Peter and Andrew who were casting their nets. Immediately after their call, they left their nets and their families and followed him. A fisherman by profession, he was a spontaneous, impetuous type, and we learn of his life close to Christ from the four Gospels, while his apostolic activity is revealed by the actions of the Apostles. He also wrote two Catholic Epistles.

After the Lord’s ascension, Peter taught the Gospel in Judea, Antioch, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. According to historical sources, which are not fully cross-correlated, he reached Rome, where under Nero (54-68 AD) he was martyred after being crucified head downwards on a cross around the year 64 AD.

The Apostle Paul was born in Tarsus in Cilicia in a village called Gishala and at first he was a fierce persecutor of Christianity. In about 36 A.D., when he was going to Damascus to persecute Christians there as well, a miracle occurred in which Christ appeared to him, who commanded him to go to Ananias who catechized and baptized him. Thus, he became the greatest preacher of the Gospel, even sacrificing his life for it.

He is the founder of the Church of Greece. He wrote 14 letters to the Churches he founded. His life can be seen if you study the Acts of the Apostles, but also his 14 Epistles in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul was martyred by beheading in Rome between the years 64-67 AD.

Saints Peter and Paul have in common their strong love for Christ and His Church. The Church is founded on the rock of faith confessed by Peter, that is, on the confession of the divinity of Jesus Christ.

St. Paul, showing love for Christ, says: “Separate us from the love of Christ? affliction or distress or persecution or famine or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? …I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor beginnings, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul also have in common their martyrdom in Rome at the time of the persecution of the Emperor Nero against Christians in the year 67, which is celebrated in the Church’s tradition every 29 June. Thus, they can be called Apostles of Europe and Martyrs of Europe.

Let us implore Saints Peter and Paul, the leading Apostles, to help us to be zealous missionaries of today’s Europe, as they were missionaries of the Europe of their time, so that we can say to all the Churches of Europe: “Rejoice in the Lord always, rejoice again”.