Basilica of St. Peter

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Monday, 18 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church marks the occasion of the Dedication of the two great churches of Christendom, following after just over a week ago the celebration of the Dedication of the Lateran Archbasilica, the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour and of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist in Lateran, the Cathedral of the Vicar of Christ in Rome, the Mother Church of the whole world. Today, the two other great churches, namely the Papal Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls are remembered in their dedication and consecration to become hallowed and worthy places of Divine worship and the sacred offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to be the dwelling place of God Himself amongst us.

The Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls together with the Lateran Archbasilica and the Basilica of St. Mary Major are altogether known as the Four Major Papal Basilicas, which were all built and then consecrated to God in the city of Rome, where the Apostolic See and the Throne of St. Peter, the first Pope and Vicar of Christ as Bishop of Rome was established. And these two great Basilicas which Dedication we remember today are celebrated together because of the importance of both St. Peter and St. Paul both to the Church in Rome as well as to the whole entire Universal Church. St. Peter as mentioned was the first Pope and the Vicar of Christ as the leader and Prince of the Apostles, while St. Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles, the great missionary and evangeliser who dedicated his life to proclaim the Good News of God to everyone.

And these two great Basilicas are truly strongly intertwined with the story of these two Apostles as they were related to the history of their last mission and work in Rome, then the capital of the great and mighty Roman Empire, proclaiming the Word of God and His Good News to the still mostly pagan people of Rome and its surrounding regions. The Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican, in the region that is now the Sovereign State of the Vatican City stood atop the ancient area which was just outside the city of Rome during the time of the early Church, where a great Circus existed, for the purpose of races and games by the Romans, and where many of the faithful were persecuted and made to suffer martyrdom there, including that of St. Peter himself, who was martyred by the intense persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Nero about three decades plus after the death of Christ.

St. Paul was also martyred during that same period of intense persecution of Christians by the Romans, when many of those faithful were framed by the Roman Emperor Nero according to historical tradition, for the Great Fire of Rome that destroyed much of the city of Rome. The truth according to many historians is that probably the Emperor himself was the one responsible for the great fire, but the eccentric Emperor found it very convenient to put the blame on the Christians of Rome which were seen as foreign by the Romans due to their beliefs, and were also hated by the Jewish diaspora who disagreed with the Christian teachings. Therefore, it is easy for them to be targetted by the persecutions and the oppressions from the Roman state, especially as the Christians also refused to offer sacrifices to the pagan Roman idols and to the deified Roman Emperors.

In any case, the persecution ended with many Christians being martyred as mentioned, and like St. Peter, who was crucified upside-down in the ground that was to become the Vatican Necropolis and the Basilica of St. Peter, St. Paul himself was beheaded. The site that is to become the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls was the place where the Apostle lived during his stay in Rome which was recorded at the last part of the Acts of the Apostles, which we heard in our first reading passage today. Both of those holy places therefore served as important reminder of these two great saints of God, the ones whom God had entrusted with the mission and guidance of the Universal Church, either through the faithful leadership of St. Peter as the Chief of all the Apostles and Vicar of Christ, as well as the vigorous evangelising missionary efforts of St. Paul.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all also listened in our Gospel passage today in commemoration of the Dedication of the two Basilicas, we heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples who were in the middle of the lake, attacked and troubled greatly by the storm which were happening all around them, with the great waves and wind threatening to sink the boat that they were all in. The Lord appeared to them at that darkest of moments as a source of Hope to all of them. They were all terrified thinking that He was a ghost, but the Lord told them all not to be afraid and to trust in Him. St. Peter was the first to say to the Lord that if He was truly their Lord and Master, then he would be able to walk on the water towards Him, which he then did, after the Lord invited him to do so. We heard how St. Peter stumbled and doubted seeing all the great waves and storm, and began to sink, only to be rescued by the Lord, Who then proceeded to calm the storm.

This is a reminder for all of us that the Apostles themselves were once humble men and women like us, and just like us, they were also sinners, with their doubts and imperfections, and they also face the same struggles as we do. St. Peter himself according to Apostolic tradition faced difficulties and struggles throughout his life and ministry, on top of his doubts as recorded in the Scriptures where he denied knowing the Lord during the time of His Passion. Then at the time of his suffering and martyrdom in Rome, it was told that St. Peter faltered somewhat having seen all the persecutions and martyrdom happening all around him, and he fled the city of Rome, only to encounter a vision of the Lord Jesus Himself bearing His Cross to Rome.

When St. Peter asked the Lord where He was going, the Lord told him that He was going to Rome to be crucified again. Humbled by shame at his indecisiveness and lack of faith, St. Peter went back to Rome and gave himself to be martyred, and asked to be crucified upside down as he felt unworthy to die in the exact same manner as his Lord and Master. Then, St. Paul himself as all of us know well, was a great enemy and persecutor of early Christians as an overzealous and fanatical young Pharisee, striking at many of the believers of the Lord and arresting many of them on behalf of the chief priests and the members of the Sanhedrin. But the Lord had a different plan for this young man, whom He encountered and called on the way to Damascus, which eventually led to the conversion of the young Saul, who henceforth as St. Paul devoted himself wholly to the service of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we rejoice greatly on the occasion of the celebration of this anniversary of the Dedication of the two Basilicas, dedicated to the two great servants of God, St. Peter and St. Paul, whose lives we have just discussed about, let us all therefore be reminded of their great courage and faith, and also how they have turned their lives for the better by following the Lord and committing themselves to Him. They both serve as great reminders for all of us that we ourselves have also been called to be great servants and disciples of the Lord, to proclaim Him in our world today and to do what the Lord has entrusted us all to do in our own respective capacities and opportunities we have been given.

Let us all therefore strive to be ever more faithful to the Lord in all things, being ever more filled with God’s love and grace and to be truly worthy of Him, dedicating ourselves ever more to His cause. May the Lord continue to help us and strengthen each one of us, that He will always grant us His power and blessings in all the efforts and endeavours we carry out in life, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 18 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)

Luke 18 : 35-43

At that time, when Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road, begging. As he heard the crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening, and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was going by.

Then he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people in front of him scolded him. “Be quiet!” they said, but he cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped, and ordered the blind man to be brought to Him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the man said, “Lord, that I may see!” Jesus said, “Receive your sight, your faith has saved you.”

At once the blind man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving praise to God. And all the people who were there also praised God.

Alternative reading (from Mass for Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)

Matthew 14 : 22-33

At that time, immediately, Jesus obliged His disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowd away. And having sent the people away, He went up the mountain by Himself, to pray. At nightfall, He was there alone. Meanwhile, the boat was very far from land, dangerously rocked by the waves, for the wind was against it.

At daybreak, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When they saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But at once, Jesus said to them, “Courage! Do not be afraid. It is Me!” Peter answered, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

Jesus said to him, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water to go to Jesus. But seeing the strong wind, he was afraid, and began to sink; and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and took hold of him, saying, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?”

As they got into the boat, the wind dropped. Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus, saying, “Truly, You are the Son of God!”

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Monday, 18 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)

Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed is the one who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates day and night on His commandments.

He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.

But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.

Alternative reading (from Mass for Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)

Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

Sing to YHVH a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

YHVH has shown His salvation, revealing His justice to the nations. He has not forgotten His love, nor His faithfulness to Israel.

The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you, lands, make a joyful noise to YHVH, break into song and sing praise.

With melody of the lyre and with music of the harp. With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, YHVH!

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Monday, 18 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)

Revelations 1 : 1-4 and Revelations 2 : 1-5a

The Revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave it to Him to let His servants know what is soon to take place. He sent His Angel to make it known to His servant, John, who reports everything he saw, for this is the word of God and the declaration of Jesus Christ.

Happy is the one who reads aloud these prophetic words, and happy those who hear them and treasure everything written here, for the time is near. From John to the seven Churches of Asia : receive grace and peace from Him Who is, Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits of God which are before His throne.

Write this to the Angel of the Church in Ephesus, “Thus says the One Who holds the seven stars in His right hand and Who walks among the seven golden lampstands : ‘I know your works, your difficulties and your patient suffering. I know you cannot tolerate evildoers but have tested those who call themselves Apostles and have proved them to be liars. You have persevered and have suffered for My Name without losing heart.”

“Nevertheless, I have this complaint against you : you have lost your first love. Remember from where you have fallen and repent.”

Alternative reading (from Mass for Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)

Acts 28 : 11-16, 30-31

After three months, we boarded a ship that had spent the winter at the island. It belonged to an Alexandrian company, and carried the figurehead of Castor and Pollux as insignia. We sailed for Syracuse, staying there for three days; and, after circling the coast, we arrived at Rhegium.

On the following day, a south wind began to blow, and, at the end of two days, we arrived at Puteoli, where we found some of our brothers, who invited us to stay with them for a week. And that was how we came to Rome. There, the brothers and sisters had been informed of our arrival, and came out to meet us as far as the Appian Forum and the Three Taverns.

When Paul saw them, he gave thanks to God and took courage. Upon our arrival in Rome, the captain turned the prisoners over to the military governor, but permitted Paul to lodge in a private house, with the soldier who guarded him.

Paul stayed for two whole years, in a house he, himself, rented, where he received, without any hindrance, all those who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God, and taught the truth about Jesus Christ, the Lord, quite openly and without any hindrance.

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Saturday, 18 November 2023 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the great Feast of the Dedication of not just one but two of the great Papal Major Basilicas in Rome, namely that of the Basilica of St. Peter and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Both of these Basilicas are two of the four Papal Major Basilicas, ranking just below the most important and Mother of all the Churches, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, or the Lateran Basilica, which Dedication we had just celebrated earlier last week. While the Lateran Basilica was dedicated firstly to the Lord Himself, the Most Holy Saviour, both of these great Basilicas were dedicated after the two great patrons of the Church especially in Rome, namely that of St. Peter the Apostle, the first Pope and Vicar of Christ as the Bishop of Rome, and St. Paul the Apostle, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

The Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican is the second most important church in all of Christendom, and because it is located at the Vatican City, over which the Pope is the Head of State and Sovereign, it is the place where most of the Pope’s liturgical celebrations and other major Church celebrations are celebrated, and is arguably the most well known of all the churches of all Christendom. Meanwhile, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, or San Paulo Fuori le Mura is named as such because it is located just outside the ancient walls of Rome, and was the place where St. Paul the Apostle himself stayed during his time in Rome before he was martyred, in his final missionary journey. Both of these churches were ancient, and while the current Basilica of St. Peter was rebuilt about five centuries ago, but the original building and site dated back from the early days of the Church, together with the other Papal Major Basilica, the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Santa Maria Maggiore.

Both St. Peter and St. Paul are the Patron saints of Rome because they were first of all both martyred in Rome during their respective ministries and works. St. Peter as the leader and chief of all the Apostles had been active in going around many places, proclaiming the Good News of God, and also establishing the foundations of the Church in those places. St. Peter himself was the first Bishop of Antioch, establishing the first Church community and leadership in the place where the faithful themselves were known as Christians for the first time, and then, later on, St. Peter would go on to Rome in his later years, establishing the Church community there, together with St. Paul and other missionaries who had gone there to proclaim the word of God and His truth. Rome back then was the heart and capital of the Roman Empire, and hence, was pretty much the centre of the world then.

Meanwhile, St. Paul was a great missionary who dedicated himself to proclaim God’s words and salvation to many people all throughout the Mediterranean region, and for his commitment and service in proclaiming the Lord to the many non-Jewish people, also known as the Gentiles, he was thus known as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Most of the Epistles or letters that are contained within the New Testament were also written by him, and through all these efforts and works, he has brought the knowledge of God and His salvation to countless people, who have thus embraced the Lord and became Christians, committing themselves to the Lord as their Master and Saviour. Through his persistence and efforts, his endurance of many sufferings and trials, St. Paul had done so many good works for the salvation of many souls, and he is truly an inspiration to all of us.

Then, how did each one of them met their end in their martyrdom? According to Apostolic traditions and Church history, St. Peter the Apostle was persecuted in the terrible persecution of Christians during the end of the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. St. Paul the Apostle was similarly persecuted under Emperor Nero as well, but was likely martyred earlier than St. Peter, in the Year of Our Lord 64, in that year when the Great Fire of Rome happened. Now historical evidences showed that the fire was likely initiated by the Emperor himself, or attributed to other natural sources, but back then, the fire was blamed on the local Christian community, which became a scapegoat for the Emperor and the Romans, for them to carry out the first of the many intense persecutions against Christians. St. Paul was beheaded by an axe during that persecution, while St. Peter was arrested later on, and then was crucified at the site where the Basilica of St. Peter stands now. He chose to be crucified upside down, in a humble gesture of acknowledging that he was unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord and Saviour.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, having gone through the lives and actions of both St. Peter and St. Paul, Holy Apostles, in whom the two great Basilicas were dedicated to, let us all hence now reflect on ourselves and our own way of life. How have we lived our lives as Christians in these lives and opportunities that God had given us? Have we been obedient and faithful to Him in the manner that the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, as well as the innumerable saints and martyrs, holy men and women of God had done? Have we followed the Lord wholeheartedly in all things and have we committed ourselves truly to His Law and commandments? Or have we instead allowed the temptations, evils and vices of this world to mislead us down the wrong path, in bringing us to disobedience and rebellion against God?

Let us all also reflect and ponder on the fact that each and every one of us are also truly the Temples of the Lord’s Holy Presence, where He dwells, just as the Basilicas are truly great Houses of God, the House of the Lord’s Holy and Real Presence. We ourselves have received the Lord Himself, in the flesh, through the Eucharist, of His Real Presence in His Most Precious Body and Blood, as well as through the Holy Spirit that the Lord has imparted upon us, and dwelled in us. Hence, just as in the dedication of churches, and the Dedication of the great Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul, the edifices and places have been set aside, sanctified and made worthy of God’s Holy Presence, thus, we should also do the same with our own lives, our own bodies, hearts, minds and souls. Essentially, our whole being, in which God dwells in, should be truly holy and worthy of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect and remember upon the lives and works of the great Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and as we rejoice in the memory of the Dedication of the great Basilicas dedicated to their name and memories in Rome, let us all also commit ourselves anew to the Lord in faith. Let us all strive to be good, holy and worthy in everything that we say and do, so that we may indeed be truly worthy of God, Who dwells in us and in our midst. May the Lord continue to help and encourage us, and strengthen us with the power and the will to live our live worthily as Christians, at all times. May He bless us all and encourage our every good efforts and deeds, for His greater glory. Amen.

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Saturday, 18 November 2023 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 18 : 1-8

At that time, Jesus told them a parable, to show them that they should pray continually, and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain town there was a judge, who neither feared God nor people. In the same town there was a widow, who kept coming to him, saying, ‘Defend my rights against my adversary!'”

“For a time he refused, but finally he thought, ‘Even though I neither fear God nor care about people, this widow bothers me so much, I will see that she gets justice; then she will stop coming and wearing me out.'”

And Jesus said, “Listen to what the evil judge says. Will God not do justice for His chosen ones, who cry to Him day and night, even if He delays in answering them? I tell you, He will speedily do them justice. But, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Alternative reading (Mass for the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

Matthew 14 : 22-33

At that time, immediately, Jesus obliged His disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowd away. And having sent the people away, He went up the mountain by Himself, to pray. At nightfall, He was there alone. Meanwhile, the boat was very far from land, dangerously rocked by the waves, for the wind was against it.

At daybreak, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When they saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But at once, Jesus said to them, “Courage! Do not be afraid. It is Me!” Peter answered, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

Jesus said to him, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water to go to Jesus. But seeing the strong wind, he was afraid, and began to sink; and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and took hold of him, saying, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?”

As they got into the boat, the wind dropped. Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus, saying, “Truly, You are the Son of God!”

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Saturday, 18 November 2023 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 104 : 2-3, 36-37, 42-43

Sing to YHVH, sing His praise, proclaim all His wondrous deeds. Glory in His holy Name; let those who seek YHVH rejoice.

Then He smote all the firstborn, the first fruits of their manhood. He led Israel out of the alien land, laden with silver and gold, and none were left behind.

For He remembered His promise to Abraham, His servant. So He led forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with singing.

Alternative reading (Mass for the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

Sing to YHVH a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

YHVH has shown His salvation, revealing His justice to the nations. He has not forgotten His love, nor His faithfulness to Israel.

The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you, lands, make a joyful noise to YHVH, break into song and sing praise.

With melody of the lyre and with music of the harp. With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, YHVH!

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Saturday, 18 November 2023 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Wisdom 18 : 14-16 and Wisdom 19 : 6-9

While all was in quiet silence and the night was in the middle of its course, Your Almighty Word leapt down from the royal throne – a stern Warrior to a doomed world. Carrying Your fearful command like a sharpened sword and stretching from heaven to earth, He filled the universe with death.

All creation in its different forms was fashioned anew at Your command, in order to protect Your people. The cloud covered the camp with its shadow, dry land emerged where water had been. A safe passage was opened through the Red Sea, the tempestuous flood became a green plain where the whole nation of those protected by Your hand passed across, witnessing Your astounding deeds.

They were like horses led to pasture, or like frolicking lambs, praising You, their Lord, Who had delivered them.

Alternative reading (Mass for the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

Acts 28 : 11-16, 30-31

After three months, we boarded a ship that had spent the winter at the island. It belonged to an Alexandrian company, and carried the figurehead of Castor and Pollux as insignia. We sailed for Syracuse, staying there for three days; and, after circling the coast, we arrived at Rhegium.

On the following day, a south wind began to blow, and, at the end of two days, we arrived at Puteoli, where we found some of our brothers, who invited us to stay with them for a week. And that was how we came to Rome. There, the brothers and sisters had been informed of our arrival, and came out to meet us as far as the Appian Forum and the Three Taverns.

When Paul saw them, he gave thanks to God and took courage. Upon our arrival in Rome, the captain turned the prisoners over to the military governor, but permitted Paul to lodge in a private house, with the soldier who guarded him.

Paul stayed for two whole years, in a house he, himself, rented, where he received, without any hindrance, all those who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God, and taught the truth about Jesus Christ, the Lord, quite openly and without any hindrance.

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Friday, 18 November 2022 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the special occasion this day when we celebrate the anniversary of the Dedication of not just one but two of the greatest churches in Christendom, namely the Papal Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican, the great and renowned House of God where the Pope frequently celebrates the Holy Mass and other important major events of the faith, as the place where St. Peter himself, the first Pope and Vicar of Christ, was martyred. The other great Basilica is the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, named such because it is located just outside the walls of the ancient city of Rome, and where St. Paul according to tradition, spent his time in Rome, while waiting for his trial by the Emperor as listed in the Acts of the Apostles.

On this day therefore, it is appropriate for us to remind ourselves of the two Apostles after whom those two great Basilicas, the House of God have been named after. St. Peter and St. Paul are both the patron saints of Rome and hence of the Universal Church, and their role in the establishment of the Church in Rome, the then heart of the Roman Empire and later on as the heart of all Christendom were truly significant, as they were the ones to lay the firm foundations of the Church there, through their toils and hard work, and by the shedding of their own blood and the martyrdom that they endured for the sake of the Lord and for His people. We honour these two great men of God, our important role models, as we remember and commemorate the anniversary of the Dedication of the two Basilicas named and dedicated in their honour. Those Basilicas as mentioned, are next in honour only after the Papal Cathedral, Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, which Dedication we commemorated just a week ago.

St. Peter the Apostle was the first Pope and Vicar of Christ, appointed as such by the Lord Himself, as He entrusted His Church to him as written in the Sacred Scriptures itself, entrusting to him the whole Universal Church and the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. He was appointed and made to be the leader of the whole Church, truly the Prince of the Apostles and the Lord’s Vicar in this world, as the leader of all the leaders of the Church, as the shepherd and guide for all the faithful people of God. And yet, for this great mission and responsibility, as we all ought to know, St. Peter was not one which the world would have deemed fit for the role. He was after all a mere illiterate, brash and poor fisherman from the lake of Galilee area, literally a nobody at that time. No one would have thought that this man would have become the Lord’s very own Vicar in this world.

Yet, that was what the Lord did, brothers and sisters in Christ, that He chose an ordinary man, a nobody in the eyes of the world to be His chief disciple, and what others might not have known then, was how dedicated and committed the Apostles, especially that of St. Peter, were to the Lord. What the Lord saw in their hearts were the capacity to love Him and to serve their fellow brethren with genuine dedication, and just as He called them and they responded, in the end, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they all prevailed in faith, and gave their efforts and lives for the glory of God. St. Peter himself went on to Rome and became the first Bishop of Rome, establishing the foundation of the Church there, and during the persecution of Christians under the Emperor Nero, he was arrested and martyred, crucified upside-down on Vatican hill, where the great Basilica of St. Peter now stands. He chose to die in that manner because in his own words, he said that he was not worthy to die in the same way as his Lord and Master.

Meanwhile, St. Paul the Apostle was the Apostle to the Gentiles, sent and commissioned to reach out to the various communities of the faithful all throughout Christendom, and was renowned and remembered for his many efforts and labours especially among the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people, protecting their rights and helping them to find their ways to the Lord more easily, by opposing those who sought to impose the customs and strict, unbending, Pharisaical rules of the Jewish people onto the whole Church. He was himself was once Saul, a young and zealous Pharisee who was very fervent and energetic in his pursuit of the early Christians, in the hope of crushing and destroying the Church in its earliest moments, in his misguided efforts to follow the Law as per what he once knew.

After he had encountered the Lord personally on his way to Damascus, in that well-known conversion experience, and after he was baptised and received the wisdom and strength of the Holy Spirit, Saul, became Paul, a new man of God. From a vicious enemy of Christians and the Lord, St. Paul became a great and most ardent defender and champion of the Christian faith, dedicating his life and works to serve the Lord, wholeheartedly. He spent a lot of time and effort in reaching out to various people he encountered throughout his missionary journeys, and went through and endured a lot of sufferings and persecutions, arrest and imprisonment, and was eventually martyred in Rome by the same Emperor Nero when Christians were made scapegoats and were persecuted for the Great Fire of Rome, and St. Paul was beheaded for his faith.

Today, as we remember this memory of the Dedication of the Papal Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, we are reminded that each one of us are also parts and members of the living Church of God, as the living stones making up this one Body of all the Christian faithful. As the two Basilicas were consecrated and dedicated to God, made hallow, holy and blessed, as places worthy for the worship and adoration of God, therefore each one of us have to strive to be worthy and holy for the Lord as well, just like that of the Apostles and the other disciples of God, especially that of St. Peter and St. Paul. And why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because all of us, according to St. Paul, are no less than the Temple of God’s very own Holy Presence, His own dwelling place, as He has come to us in His own Real and Precious Body and Blood in the Eucharist, and His Holy Spirit has dwelled within us as well.

Therefore, if our lives and actions are unbecoming and unworthy of what we as Christians are expected to do, then we are in fact doing no less than defiling the sanctity of this Temple and House of God, our very own body, heart, mind and soul, our very own beings. And if we do that, then it is by our own actions and wickedness that we will be judged, and certainly none of us will want to be on the wrong side of God’s judgment. Do we want to enjoy forever the blissful eternal life with God, in His presence and in the fullness of His grace and love? Or do we rather suffer for an eternity in eternal damnation and darkness because of our wickedness and sins? The choice has been given to us, and God has given us the freedom to choose our path in this life we have on Earth. Let us all choose wisely, brothers and sisters in Christ.

May the Lord therefore be with us, His Church, strengthening and empowering us all as His disciples and followers, and strengthening our unity as members of the same Church, the Body of Christ, so that we may always be holy just as our Lord is holy. May God bless us all and our every good endeavours and works, and may He remain with us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 18 November 2022 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome)

Luke 19 : 45-48

At that time, Jesus entered the Temple area and began to drive out the merchants. And He said to them, “God says in the Scriptures, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of robbers!'”

Jesus was teaching every day in the Temple. The chief priests and teachers of the Law wanted to kill Him, and the elders of the Jews as well, but they were unable to do anything, for all the people were listening to Him and hanging on His words.

Alternative reading (Mass for Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome)

Matthew 14 : 22-33

At that time, immediately, Jesus obliged His disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowd away. And having sent the people away, He went up the mountain by Himself, to pray. At nightfall, He was there alone. Meanwhile, the boat was very far from land, dangerously rocked by the waves, for the wind was against it.

At daybreak, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When they saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But at once, Jesus said to them, “Courage! Do not be afraid. It is Me!” Peter answered, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

Jesus said to him, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water to go to Jesus. But seeing the strong wind, he was afraid, and began to sink; and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and took hold of him, saying, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?”

As they got into the boat, the wind dropped. Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus, saying, “Truly, You are the Son of God!”