On June 29, the Church solemnly celebrates the holy apostles Peter and Paul. It is a date of profound resonance in Augustinian spirituality, which invites us to contemplate the mystery of unity, fidelity and apostolic mission.
St. Augustine reminds us that Peter and Paul represent the unity of the Church. On his Solemnity, the Church also invites us to collaborate with the St. Peter’s Pence: a concrete way to support the Pope’s mission in favor of the poorest and neediest.
St. Peter and St. Paul in St. Augustine: Pillars of Faith and Unity
For St. Augustine, Peter and Paul are not only glorious martyrs of the past, but living symbols of the Church: Peter, the rock on which Christ builds his community; Paul, the tireless apostle who carries the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
“Peter comes from stone, as a Christian comes from Christ”, said St. Augustine in his Sermon 295.St. Augustine said in his Sermon 295. “Neither Peter nor Paul was crucified for you. He feeds the Lord’s sheep, those marked with his name and washed with his blood”.
The Bishop of Hippo recalls that Peter is a figure of the Church as a whole, because he received the keys of the Kingdom in the name of all. And Paul, the persecutor-turned-apostle, is a witness to the fact that grace can transform even the most hardened heart.
“We celebrate this feast day -says St. Augustine made holy by the blood of the apostles. Let us love their faith, their life, their labors, their passion, their confession, their preaching”.
The St. Peter’s Pence: a concrete gesture of love
Coinciding with this feast, the Church invites us every year to unite ourselves spiritually to the Holy Father through the St. Peter’s Pence. Beyond a simple collection, this gesture is an expression of closeness, gratitude and communion with the Pope in his mission to proclaim the Gospel and support works of charity throughout the world.
The Óbolo makes it possible to finance projects of human development, education, peace and fraternity. Thanks to this aid, 236 projects were carried out in 76 countries in 2024.
An important warning: beware of scams
In recent days, fake profiles have appeared on social networks posing as Pope Leo XIV, soliciting donations for the St. Peter’s Obligation. ⚠️ The Holy See has clarified that there is no official page of the Pope on Facebook..
✅ The only safe way to collaborate is through the official website: www.obolodisanpietro.va.
Charity, fruit of faith
Peter and Paul gave everything out of love for Christ. Today, on their feast, we are invited to live that same love in our daily lives, in humble self-giving and in communion with the Church. Let us follow the advice of St. Augustine:
“The kingdom of God begins in whispers, in invisible acts of love, in planted seeds that we may never see grow. But with every act of charity, Christ builds his Church.”
May this Solemnity of the Holy Apostles be an opportunity to renew our love for the Church, our fidelity to the Pope and our commitment to those most in need.