Orthodox Christians celebrate Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

Chisinau, 12 July /MOLDPRES/ - The old-style Orthodox Christians today celebrate the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul - the first apostles of the Christianity. The feast takes place after a period of fasting, which varies in terms of duration, depending on the date when Easter is market.     

This is a holiday with deep spiritual echoes in the souls of the Christians, who honour the two great Apostles, who dedicated their entire lives to preaching the Gospel of Christ.    

The holiday dates back from the century II AD and the piety of believers was materialized in the erection of churches on the place of the Apostles’ martyrdom. From the Holy Gospel, we know that Holy Peter was born in the Bethsaida settlement from Galileya; he was a son of Iona and the older brother of the Holy First-Called Apostle Andrew. St. Apostle Peter became a zealous follower of Jesus ‘’Christ, the Son of the Living God.’’ After the Descent of the Holy Spirit, St. Peter was the first to announce the Jewish people about Jesus Christ, the crucified and resurrected, and urged everybody to prove penance and return to faith.       

„The two saints are honoured together, because they were martyred on the same day of the year 67 AD. Before being called to apostleship, Peter’s name was Simon. Saint Apostle Paul’s first name was Saul and following the conversion, he received the name of Paul. Although Peter was a simple fisherman, and Paul a teacher of the Jewish Law, both confessed their love for Christ up to sacrifice: Peter was crucified upside down and Paul was beheaded,’’ according to more books of the Church.         

The Apostles Peter and Paul are also authors of epistles, included by the Church in the canonic texts of the New Testament. Other sources show that the two Apostles are protectors of the imprisoned people. And this because people from penitentiaries sinned to God, just these Apostles themselves sinned on certain periods: Peter denied Christ and Paul persecuted Christians.     

In Moldova, the names Peter and Paul are ones of the most popular, after Ion, Maria and Ana.