Readings for Sunday, June 29, 2025
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Qari tad-29 ta’ Ġunju – Solennità ta’ San Pietru u San Pawl, Appostli
Reading 1 Acts 12:1-11
In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also. –It was the feast of Unleavened Bread.– He had him taken into custody and put in prison under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. He intended to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter thus was being kept in prison, but prayer by the Church was fervently being made to God on his behalf. On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison. Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly.” The chains fell from his wrists. The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them by itself. They emerged and made their way down an alley, and suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting.”
QARI 1 mill-Ktieb tal-Atti tal-Appostli 2:1-11
Għall-ħabta ta’ dak iż-żmien, is-sultan Erodi qatagħha li jaħbat għal xi wħud minn ħdan il-Knisja. Qatel ’il Ġakbu, ħu Ġwanni, bis-sejf. Imbagħad, billi ra li din il-ħaġa għoġbot lil-Lhud, qatagħha li jaqbad ’il Pietru wkoll. Dan kien f’jiem l-Ażżmi. Meta arrestah u tefgħu l-ħabs, qiegħed għassa miegħu erba’ għaqdiet ta’ suldati ta’ erbgħa kull waħda, bil-ħsieb li, wara l-Għid, iressqu quddiem il-poplu. Pietru, mela, kien arrestat fil-ħabs, bil-għassa miegħu. Fl-istess ħin, il-Knisja kienet qiegħda titlob ’l Alla għalih bil-ħeġġa. Fil-lejl stess ta’ qabel ma Erodi kellu joħroġ ’il Pietru, dan kien rieqed bejn żewġ suldati, marbut b’żewġ ktajjen, waqt li xi għassiesa kienu għassa mal-bieb tal-ħabs. F’daqqa waħda ġie hemm anġlu tal-Mulej, u dawl idda mal-kamra. L-anġlu ta lil Pietru daqqa fuq ġenbu, qajmu u qallu: “Qum malajr.” Il-ktajjen waqgħu minn ma’ idejh. Imbagħad l-anġlu qallu: “Dawwar il-mantar miegħek u imxi warajja.” Pietru ħareġ u mexa warajh, bla ma ntebah li dak li kien qiegħed jiġri permezz tal-anġlu kien tassew; ħaseb li kienet xi ħolma. Għaddew l-ewwel għassa, u t-tieni waħda wkoll, u waslu ħdejn il-bieb tal-ħadid li kien jagħti għall-belt; u dan infetah waħdu. Ħarġu, u mxew tul it-triq. F’daqqa waħda l-anġlu telaq minn ħdejh. Imbagħad Pietru ġie f’tiegħu, u qal: “Issa qiegħed ninduna, tabilħaqq, li l-Mulej bagħat l-anġlu tiegħu u ħelisni minn id Erodi u minn dak kollu li l-Lhud kienu qegħdin jistennew li jsir.” Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed the man who takes refuge in him.
R. The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.
SALM RESPONSORJALI Salm 33, 2-9
R/. Dawk li jibżgħu mill-Mulej, l-anġlu tiegħu jeħlishom!
Kull ħin inbierek ’il-Mulej,
tifħiru dejjem f’fommi.
Bil-Mulej tiftaħar ruħi,
jisimgħu l-fqajrin u jifirħu! R/.
Kabbru ’l-Mulej miegħi,
u ngħollu ismu flimkien.
Jien fittixt il-Mulej, u weġibni,
u minn kull biża’ ħelisni. R/.
Ħarsu lejh u tiddu bil-ferħ,
u wiċċkom ma jistħix.
Dan il-fqajjar sejjaħ il-Mulej, u semgħu,
u mid-dwejjaq kollha tiegħu ħelsu. R/.
L-anġlu tal-Mulej jgħammar madwar dawk li jibżgħu minnu,
u jeħlishom. Duqu u taraw kemm hu tajjeb il-Mulej,
hieni l-bniedem li jistkenn fih. R/.
I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly Kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
QARI 2 mit-Tieni Ittra ta’ San Pawl lil Timotju 4:6-8. 17-18
Għażiż: Jiena ngħid għalija, demmi ġa mxerred b’sagrifiċċju, u żmien it-tluq tiegħi wasal. Tqabadt it-taqbida t-tajba, temmejt il-ġirja, ħarist il-fidi. Mill-bqija hemm merfugħa għalija l-kuruna tal-ġustizzja, li biha f’dak il-jum iħallasni l-Mulej, l-Imħallef ġust, u mhux lili biss, imma wkoll lil dawk kollha li jkunu għexu bix-xewqa tad-dehra tiegħu. Il-Mulej waqaf miegħi u tani l-qawwa biex, bis-saħħa tiegħi, il-kelma tixxandar sal-aħħar u l-ġnus kollha jisimgħuha. Hekk jien inħlist minn ħalq l-iljun. Il-Mulej jeħlisni minn kull deni u jħarisni sa ma nasal fis-saltna tiegħu tas-sema. Glorja lilu għal dejjem ta’ dejjem. Ammen. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej.
Gospel Matthew 16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
EVANĠELJU Qari skont San Mattew 16:13-19
F’dak iż-żmien: Meta wasal fl-inħawi ta’ Ċesarija ta’ Filippu, Ġesù staqsa lid-dixxipli tiegħu u qalilhom: “In-nies min jgħidu li hu Bin il-bniedem?” U huma weġbuh: “Xi wħud Ġwanni l-Battista, oħrajn Elija, u oħrajn Ġeremija jew wieħed mill-profeti.” “Imma intom,” qalilhom, “intom min tgħidu li jien?” U qabeż Xmun Pietru u qallu: “Inti l-Messija, l-Iben ta’ Alla ħaj.” U wieġbu Ġesù u qallu: “Imbierek int, Xmun, bin Ġona, għax mhux il-laħam u d-demm urewk min jien, imma Missieri li hu fis-smewwiet. U min-naħa tiegħi ngħidlek: Inti Pietru, u fuq din il-ġebla jiena nibni l-Knisja tiegħi, u l-bibien tal-infern ma jegħlbuhiex. Lilek nagħtik l-imfietah tas-Saltna tas-Smewwiet, u kulma torbot fuq l-art ikun marbut fis-smewwiet, u kulma tħoll fuq l-art ikun maħlul fis-smewwiet. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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An 8-minute Reflection on Sunday's Readings by Fr Anthony Kadavil on Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
Importance:
St. Peter and St. Paul are the principal pillars of the Church. That is why this Sunday (June 29th), we celebrate the feast of their martyrdom, replacing the normal readings for the Thirteenth Sunday [C] in Ordinary Time
(1) Peter was son of Jona and brother of Andrew. He was a professional fisherman from Bethsaida, a fishing town on the Lake of Galilee (Gennesaret). He might have been a follower of John the Baptist. It was his brother Andrew who introduced him to Jesus, and Jesus who changed his name from Simon to Cephas or Peter. Jesus made him the leader of his apostles. At Caesarea Philippi Jesus promised to make him the head of his Church, and the risen Jesus confirmed Peter’s precedence.
It was the Holy Spirit who inspired Peter’s Proclamation of the Good News to all in Jerusalem on the day of the Pentecost bringing the Church into living action. Peter made missionary journeys to Lydda, Joppa and Caesarea and convened the first Council in Jerusalem. Peter wrote two epistles addressed to the whole Church. He was martyred by crucifixion under the emperor Nero.
(2) Paul the “Apostle to the Gentiles” and the greatest missionary was a Roman citizen by birth as he was born in Tarsus of Cilicia, a Province of Rome. His original name was Saul. He was trained as a tent-maker and practiced that trade. As a Pharisee he was sent to Jerusalem by his parents to study the Mosaic Law under the great Rabbi Gamaliel. Well-versed in the Scriptures, he became a religious fanatic and was ready to destroy the Christian faith.
When Stephen was stoned to death by Jewish fanatics, Saul was there to support them. But he was miraculously converted on his way to Damascus to arrest the Christians. He made several missionary journeys, converted hundreds of Jews and Gentiles and established Church communities. He wrote 14 epistles. He was arrested and kept in prison for two years in Caesarea and on his way to Rome he was shipwrecked in Malta which he converted bwefore continuing to Rome to spend two more years in a Rome jail. Finally, he was martyred by beheading at Tre Fontane in Rome.
Let us pray - for the apostolic zeal and missionary spirit of both these Saints, Peter & Paul.
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