Icon with the Holy Apostle Peter - embroidered, framed, 15x18cm
The Holy Apostle Peter, known before apostleship as Simon, came from a Judeo-Galilean family, from the modest town of Bethsaida, in the borders of Galilee, in Palestine, and was the son of Jonah, from the tribe of Simeon. He is the brother of the Holy Apostle Andrew, who was called first among all the disciples.
He learned that Jesus is the Messiah through the news brought by his brother, Andrew. The Lord changed his name from Simon to Cephas, meaning "rock" in Aramaic, which in Greek and Latin becomes Peter.
According to the testimony of the Evangelist Luke, Peter became a disciple of Christ after a fishing trip when, despite having toiled all night and caught nothing, at the Lord's urging, he cast the nets into the water and caught a large quantity of fish. At this moment, Peter gave up everything he had and followed Christ.
The Holy Apostle Peter is known for eight sermons recorded in the Acts of the Apostles and for two epistles attributed to his name. He confessed the divinity of Christ in Caesarea Philippi, declaring, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
The Lord spoke words of blessing about him and declared that on this rock, meaning on his faith, He would build His Church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. He also gave him the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, granting him the power to bind and loose on earth and in heaven.
However, during the Passion, Peter denied the Lord three times. Through repentance, however, he received forgiveness for this denial after the Lord's Resurrection, when he confessed to the Lord that he loved Him.
The Apostle Peter was present at important events in the life of the Savior, such as the resurrection of Jairus' daughter, the Transfiguration, and the sharing of the sword in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was also one of the first disciples to come to the empty tomb of the Savior and preached powerfully on the day of Pentecost, leading to the baptism of three thousand people.
The Holy Apostle Peter spread the Gospel in various places, including Judea, Antioch, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, and Rome. He suffered martyrdom in the city of Rome, alongside Saint Paul, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. He requested to be crucified upside down and was buried on Vatican Hill.
The Holy Apostle Peter is celebrated on June 29th. He had a martyric death, being crucified upside down.
The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, the patrons of penitentiaries
In 1993 and 1997, two protocols were signed between the Romanian Patriarchate and the Ministry of Justice regarding the provision of religious assistance in the Romanian penitentiary system. According to these protocols, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul were declared the patrons of penitentiaries in Romania.
