3rd Sunday After Pentecost Peter & Paul Prime Apostles
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!
3rd Sunday After Pentecost The Holy Pre-Eminent Apostles Peter and Paul
June 29, 2025
Sat 6/28/25 4:00pm Vigil Divine Liturgy +Souls in Purgatory by Marian Luther
Sun 6/29/25 9:30am Divine Liturgy +Fr. Bill Weithorn by Lynne and Hans Bergh
Wed 7/2/25 7:00pm Liturgy for Healing +Tim Hayes by Marian Luther
Sat 7/5/25 4:00pm Vigil Divine Liturgy +Lee Wladika by Sychak Family
Sun 7/6/25 9:30am Divine Liturgy +Peter and +Mary Kavchak by Drew Moniot
Variable Parts Tone 2 - Pages 130 — 131 Apostles Peter and Paul - Pages 338 - 340
Epistle Romans 5:1-10 and 2 Corinthians 11:21-12:9
Gospel Matthew 6:22-34 and Matthew 16:13-19
Memorial Candle Request: No Candle Request
Epistle Readers 28-Jun Mary Troyan 29-Jun Kathy Moyta 5-Jul John Baycura/Mary Motko 6-Jul Shari Allen
Please Pray for: Louie Pocchiari, Lejen Warner, Sharon King, Ole J. Bergh, Erik Bergh, Liz Moyta, Fr. Michael Huszti, Fr. Laska, Susie Curcio, Teresa Milkovich, Robert Saper, Anna Habil, Martha Sapar, Mike Dancisin, Karen Smaretsky Vavro, Diane Sotak, Anna Pocchiari, Larry Hamil, Beverly Jones, Marilyn Book, Maryann Russin Schyvers, Nick Russin and Ken Konchan
Attendance: 6/21 - 20 6/22 - 82; Collection: 6/21 & 6/22 - $1,377.00
Gibsonia Schedule:
Sun 6/29/25 11:30am Divine Liturgy The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
Sun 7/6/25 11:30am Divine Liturgy 4th Sunday after Pentecost
The 2025 Faith & Fun Day for Archieparchial Altar Servers will be on Monday. August 4th. Here is the tentative schedule:
9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy at Holy Ghost Church, McKees Rocks
10:45 a.m. depart by bus to Pittsburgh Zoo (catered lunch at zoo)
2:45 p.m. depart from zoo to Turf Attack (indoor nerf games)
4:45 p.m. depart from Turf Attack to PNC Park
after game depart back to Holy Ghost Church to head back home.
The following forms are needed, you will receive them from deacon Paul or Fr. Radko:
1. Altar server/Pastor sign-up
2. Parental Consent Form for each altar server attending
3. Adult (Parent) sign-up (must have all safe environment clearances) Please, be aware that we need to email all forms by July 21,
2025 GCU Byzantine Family Day at Kennywood Park on July 24, 2025,
$28 - ages 4+
Free - ages 3 and under. Tickets are available for purchasing at: https://gcuusa.comievents
ALL tickets bought at this discounted rate must be used on July, 24, 2025.
Deadline to order tickets is Thursday, July 10.
St. Peter and Paul were martyred during the persecution of Christians by Roman Emperor Nero (64-67). The first Christian historian, Bishop Eusebius of Ceasarea (3rd century) wrote: "Publicly announcing himself as the first among the enemies of God, he (Nero) was led on to the slaughter of the Apostles. It is recorded that in his days Paul was beheaded in the city of Rome and that Peter, also, was crucified. This story is supported by the fact that the names of Peter and Paul are preserved in the cemeteries of that place even to the present day . . . For if you would go to the Vatican, or to the Ostian Way, you would find their trophies (monuments)". Both Saint Peter and Saint Paul received new names, indicating a new relationship with God.
Simon the fisherman became known as Cephas (John 1:42), or Peter after confessing Jesus as the Son of God (Mt.16:18). Saint Peter, the brother of Saint Andrew, was a fisherman on the sea of Galilee. He was married, and Christ healed his mother-in-law of a fever (Mt.8:14). He, with James and John, witnessed the most important miracles of the Savior's earthly life. Despite his earlier recognition of Christ as the Son of God, he denied Him three times on the night before the Crucifixion. Therefore, after His Resurrection, the Lord asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Then He told Peter to feed His sheep (John 21:15-17). After the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Saint Peter addressed the crowd (Acts 2:14), and performed many miracles in Christ's name. He baptized Cornelius, the first Gentile convert (Acts 10:48). He was cast into prison, but escaped with the help of an angel (Acts 5:19). Saint Peter also traveled to many places in order to proclaim the Gospel message. He wrote two Epistles, which are part of the New Testament.
In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter (Cephas), which means rock, and said, "'You are Peter [rock], and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." This passage is an allusion to Isaiah 22:22, which tells of how Israel's wicked chief steward Shebna was replaced with the righteous Eli'akim. Isaiah 22:22 said Eli'akim would have "the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open." Just as King Hezekiah gave Eli'akim authority to oversee the kingdom of Israel, Christ gave Peter authority to oversee his Church (i.e., the "keys to the kingdom"), which included the authority to "bind and loose"—in other words, to determine official doctrine and practice.
The early Church Fathers recognized that Peter is the rock of whom Christ spoke when he said, "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church." Because Peter was made the foundation of the Church, there were practical implications: it gave him a special place or primacy among the apostles. As the passages below demonstrate, the early Church Fathers clearly recognized this.
St. Peter spent his last years in Rome, leading the Church through persecution and eventually being martyred in the year 64. He was crucified upside-down at his own request, because he claimed he was not worthy to die as his Lord. He was buried on Vatican hill, and St. Peter's Basilica is built over his tomb.
St. Paul was the Apostle of the Gentiles. His letters are included in the writings of the New Testament, and through them we learn much about his life and the faith of the early Church.
Before receiving the name Paul, he was Saul, a Jewish pharisee who zealously persecuted Christians in Jerusalem. Scripture records that Saul was present at the martyrdom of St. Stephen.
Saul's conversion took place as he was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christian community there. As he was traveling along the road, he was suddenly surrounded by a great light from heaven. He was blinded and fell off his horse. He then heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" He answered: "Who are you, Lord?" Christ said: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting."
Saul continued to Damascus, where he was baptized and his sight was restored. He took the name Paul and spent the remainder of his life preaching the Gospel tirelessly to the Gentiles of the Mediterranean world. St. Paul was imprisoned and taken to Rome, where he was beheaded in the year 67.
St. Augustine of Hippo said of Sts. Peter and Paul: "Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed.
