Turtles, McClane Creek Nature Trail, WA USA
Simon was a good fisherman. He and his brother, Andrew, had a nice comfortable business arrangement with their friends, John, and John’s brother, James. John had connections in Jerusalem, with the chief priests, for the sale of their catch, and at a good price. Simon hated being under Roman rule, but despite that, things were going well.
Simon was born in Bethsadia. Bethsadia was a greek-roman pagan city. Once Simon’s business began to thrive and he had enough money, he moved his family to Capernaum, a city of his own people, a Jewish City.
Then came Jesus and everything changed….
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)
Simon left his boat, his business, and everything he knew, he left everything behind and followed Jesus. Simon even left his name behind, to be called the name Jesus gave him, Rock, or Peter.
The furthest Simon had ever traveled was Jerusalem but soon Jesus would take Peter to Syria and finally to Rome. Pagan cities, full of pagan people that Peter began to love.
Peter, became a priest, held mass, preached, wrote letters and lead the church, the group of people that followed Jesus. Quite a change from being a small town fisherman. Peter did things he never dreamed of, and over time, slowly at first and not perfectly, he started to become the person Jesus wanted him to become.
On July 29, a Roman pagan feast day, about 30 years after Jesus was crucified, Peter was crucified by Nero in the Circus of Nero, later to be called Vatican Hill. Peter asked to be crucified upside down out of respect for Jesus. Today, Peter’s earthly remains are below the chair of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica. In this Basilica Jesus’s life, passion, and resurrection continue to be celebrated to this day.
Jesus may not be asking you to lead his church, or to travel to foreign cities, but he does have a plan for you, a great God-given adventure, if only you take that one first step, and then follow it with another, and then another.
Several years after Peter’s death on July 29, St. Paul, formerly called Saul, would be put to death. His remains today are beneath the main altar in the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome. July 29 soon became a great Christian Holy Day, the day these two men went to their heavenly home. In the early forth century, shortly after Christianity was no longer outlawed, a visitor from Spain saw and documented the celebration of this holy day. The bishop of Rome first celebrated mass at the old St Peter’s Basilica and then journeyed across the Tiber river to St Paul’s Basilica to celebrate mass. The feast of St. Peter and St. Paul continues to be celebrated on July 29 to this day.
