Celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Saturday 29 June 2024. 10am Proskomidia (Office of preparation) and third hour. 10:30am begining of the Liturgy.
At Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, London.
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The feast of Saints Peter and Paul in the Byzantine tradition
Manuel Nin[1]
The feast of Apostles Peter and Paul on 29 June is celebrated in all the Christian Churches of East and West, and in some of the Eastern traditions such as the Byzantine tradition it is preceded by a period of fasting (Lent) of varying duration as it begins on the Monday after All Saints' Sunday, which is the Sunday after Pentecost Day. Linked also to this feast of the two apostles we find in the Byzantine tradition the celebration (synaxis) of the Twelve Apostles, disciples of the Lord, witnesses of his Resurrection, preachers of his Gospel throughout the world.
The iconography of Peter and Paul tells us of the fraternal embrace between the two apostles; or the icon of Peter and Paul supporting the building of the Church. Moreover, the iconographic features of one and the other are those that we already find in the most ancient iconographic and mosaic tradition of East and West, handed down to us: Peter with curly hair, low forehead and short rounded beard; Paul on the other hand, bald, high forehead and long smooth beard. This iconographic fidelity in the facial features of both enables us to recognise the presence of Peter and Paul in the icon of Pentecost, in the icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God and also in the icon of the communion of the Apostles where Christ on one side of the icon gives his Body to Peter and five other apostles, and on the other side of the icon Christ holding the chalice with his Blood to Paul and five other apostles. These icons have a clear ecclesiological and sacramental symbolism and are therefore intended to emphasise the central role of the two apostles in the life of the Church.
The Vespers Offertory of 29 June in the Troparia celebrates and praises both apostles together. They are praised as 'first among the divine heralds', 'mouths of the sword of the Spirit'. The liturgical texts clearly emphasise that Peter and Paul are the instruments of the work of salvation that Christ Himself carries out: "They are the wings of the knowledge of God that have flown to the ends of the earth and soared to heaven; they are the hands of the gospel of grace, the feet of the truth of proclamation, the rivers of wisdom, the arms of the cross...". For both apostles, martyrdom is the goal to reach Christ himself: 'The one, nailed to the cross, made his journey to heaven, where the keys of the kingdom were entrusted to him by Christ; the other, beheaded by the sword, went to the Saviour'. Peter is also invoked as the 'sincere friend of Christ our God', and Paul as the 'herald of the faith and teacher of the earth'. The Byzantine hymnography, as well as that of the Latin tradition for the feast of the two holy apostles, links Peter and Paul to the city of Rome, where they bore witness until their martyrdom: 'wonderful ornaments of Rome...', 'for them, Rome also rejoices in chorus...'; 'O Peter, pious stone of the faith, Paul, the pride of the whole earth, come together from Rome to confirm us'.
The troparia of the canon of Matins, on the other hand, attributed to John the monk, alternate throughout the nine odes of the texts of one and the other of the two separately hymned apostles. Peter is celebrated as 'protos' the first in his role in the Church: 'first called by Christ', 'head of the Church and great bishop'. Peter is also a theologian in that he confessed Jesus as the Christ: "On the rock of your theology, the Sovereign Jesus has set the Church firm". Peter, a fisherman, is compared to the merchant in search of precious pearls: 'Having left, O Peter, what is not, you have attained to what is, like the merchant: and you have indeed fished the most precious pearl, the Christ'. The Easter of Christ becomes for Peter on the one hand the manifestation of the Risen One and on the other the healing of his triple denial: "To you who were called first and who intensely loved him, to you as the distinguished head of the apostles, Christ manifests himself first, after the resurrection from the tomb... To cancel the triple denial, the Sovereign strengthens love with the triple request from his divine voice". Paul, on the other hand, again in the morning office, is presented in his role as preacher and teacher, called to bring the name of Christ before the nations: 'you have set as a foundation for the souls of the faithful a precious cornerstone (or “angular stone”?), the Saviour and Lord'.
For Paul, his being taken up to the third heaven signifies the gift of the Trinitarian profession of faith: 'Raised up in ecstasy, you have reached the third heaven, O most happy one, and, hearing ineffable words, you acclaim: Glory to the most high Father and to his Son, with him enthroned, and to the Spirit who searches the depths of God'. Paul again plays the role of the paraninfo who presents the Church as a bride to the bridegroom who is Christ: 'You have betrothed the Church to present her as a bride to Christ the bridegroom: you have been her paraninfo, O Paul theophore; therefore, as is her duty, she honours your memory'. Vespers includes three readings taken from the first Catholic letter of Peter (1 Peter 1:3-9; 1:13-19; 2:11-24). As far as the other biblical readings are concerned, the Matins office contains the Gospel pericope of Jn 21:14-25, while the Divine Liturgy reads 2Cor 11:21-12:9, and Mt 16:13-19. Byzantine tradition calls Peter and Paul "the first coryphaei" (those who occupy the first place, the highest dignity) and also "the first in dignity" (protòthroni).
This first place and dignity of theirs continues in the Church in their "interceding with the Sovereign of the universe that he may grant peace to the earth, and great mercy to our souls".
[1] Greek Byzantine Catholic Bishop, Apostolic Exarch of Greece, former rector of the Pontifical Greek College (Rome).
Epistle: 2 Cor 11:21-12:9
ReplyDelete21 I speak according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I dare also. 22 They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of Abraham: so am I. 23 They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise). I am more; in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often. 24 Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes, save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea. 26 In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren. 27 In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Besides those things which are without: my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire? 30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not. 32 At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend me. 33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and so escaped his hands. 12. 1 If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed), but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not: God knoweth), 4 That he was caught up into paradise, and heard secret words, which it is not granted to man to utter. 5 For such an one I will glory; but for myself I will glory nothing, but in my infirmities. 6 For though I should have a mind to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I will say the truth. But I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth in me, or any thing he heareth from me. 7 And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt me, there was given me a sting of my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me. 8 For which thing thrice I besought the Lord, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Gospel: Mt 16:13-19
ReplyDeleteAnd Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? 14 But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?
16 Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.