Peter and Paul June 29. The First Throne Apostles

The apostle Peter was born in Bethsaida, near Lake Gennesaret, where he and his brother Andrew practiced the profession of fisherman, along with two other Apostles, James and John, sons of Zebedee.

We know that Peter was married, because Christ healed his mother-in-law. It is very likely that the wife was not alive when Christ called him to the apostolic office. In fact, in his missionary tours, Peter had with him not his wife but a Christian sister to serve him.

His calling to the apostolic office was made gradually. Andreas was first introduced to Christ by his brother Andreas.

In the history of the first Church, Peter again leads the way in the first administrative act of the Apostles, when he suggested in a common meeting of the faithful to elect the replacement of Judas Iscariot.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter again stood up with the other eleven Apostles and spoke to the assembled crowd so that 3.000.000 would believe and be baptized.

Then Peter healed a lame man in the temple, and with John he spake unto the multitude a second time.

This speech had the consequence of leading John to the conference. The Jews, and even the Sadducees, arrested Peter and John for the second time and imprisoned them, but they were miraculously released.

After a long tour of Judea, during which Peter founded the Church of Antioch and preached, baptizing and ordaining bishops in various places, after first passing through Sicily where he ordained the first Bishops of Syracuse and Catania, ended up in Rome where he was ordained Saint Lino the first Bishop of the Roman Capital.

There, he learned that his arrest was planned because of the persecution of Christians, and that is why he was preparing to leave the city.

Leaving Rome, he saw Christ moving in the opposite direction holding a cross.

Peter, curious, asked him, "Where are you going, Lord? / Quo vadis, Domine?" and He answered him "I am going to Rome to be crucified again / Romam vado iterum crucifigi" Acts. A. Then Peter realized that he had to endure martyrdom and returning to Rome surrendered.

In fact, he asked to be crucified upside down, because he considered himself unworthy to endure martyrdom similar to that of Christ. He testified on June 29, 64 or 67, at the Nero Racecourse.