greek-saints

Saint Peter the Apostle Biography

st-peterSaint Peter was one of the 12 disciples of Christ, who was one of the first to accept, together with his brother Andrew, the call of the Lord: “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” The Catholic Church considers him the founder of the Church of Rome, the first Pope of Rome and the first among the Apostles. His memory in all Christian denominations is commemorated on June 29, along with that of the Apostle Paul.

Peter came from Bisthaida in Galilee and was the son of Jonah. He was a fisherman, like most of the apostles. His name, before he met Christ, was Simon and in Syriac Cephas. He was named by Jesus Peter, because he had faith as unbreakable as a stone.

When he met Christ, he left his profession and his home and devoted himself to the Messiah, who brought the heavenly message. He often hosted him in Capernaum at the house of his mother-in-law, who one day, seriously ill, was healed by Christ.

Peter was warm by nature, with a heart overflowing with love and spontaneous enthusiasm. His ways were simple, unpretentious and often primitive. However, he had a changeable character and many times Christ controls him for this. For example, he is always the first to proclaim the divinity of the Lord, but he denies him three times, just before his crucifixion. And he who did not frighten the Roman soldiers who went to arrest him, and cut off the ear of Malchus, is later frightened by a little child, who asks him in the courtyard of the high priest if he is also a student.

After His resurrection, Christ with the phrase “Feed my lambs” restores the repentant denier to the apostolic office. From then on, however, Peter becomes a true rock of faith, an unshakable rock of love and excels in the apostolic work. He preaches in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and founds the first Christian church. He tours Palestine, Asia Minor and Greece, goes to Egypt and Rome, where he dies a martyr’s death in 64 or 67. Tradition says that he was crucified upside down.

The action of the Apostle Peter contributed a lot to the spread and consolidation of Christianity. He wrote two letters in the last years of his life.