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November 18: Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles—Memorial Wey No Be Obligation
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Words to Reflect On:
But make we no dwell on examples from long ago; make we turn to the spiritual heroes wey live more recently. Make we take the noble examples wey we get for our own generation. Because of envy and jealousy, people persecute and kill the greatest and most righteous pillars [of the Church]. Make we keep these great apostles before our eyes. Because of unjust envy, Peter endure no be just one or two hardships, but plenty; and when he finally suffer martyrdom, he go the place of glory wey be im due. Because of envy, Paul too receive the reward for patient endurance, after dem put am for prison seven times, force am to flee, and stone am. After he preach for both east and west, he gain the great honour wey be im due because of im faith, as he don teach the whole world how to live righteously, reach the farthest part of the west, and suffer martyrdom under the prefects. Na so he leave this world and enter the holy place, after he don show himself as outstanding example of patience. ~Letter of Saint Clement of Rome to the Corinthians
Reflection: After Emperor Constantine the Great make Christianity legal for the Roman Empire in 313, he begin build churches, especially for Rome, Jerusalem, and Constantinople. For Rome, he build four basilicas: Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter’s for Vatican Hill, Holy Cross of Jerusalem, and Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Today, the Church dey celebrate the dedication of two of those basilicas: Saint Peter’s for Vatican Hill and Saint Paul Outside the Walls.
The foundation of these two churches go back to the first century, when Peter and Paul shed their blood and dem bury them for where the basilicas stand today. In 64, one great fire destroy plenty parts of the city of Rome. Plenty historians believe say Emperor Nero start the fires by himself so that he go get excuse to rebuild parts of the city as he want. Nero blame the Christians for the fire and begin the first organised persecution of Christians for the Roman Empire. Saints Peter and Paul dey among the many people wey dem arrest and kill as martyrs.
Peter na the Prince of the Apostles and Bishop of Rome. People believe say dem crucify am upside-down for the Circus of Nero, near the ancient Egyptian obelisk wey now stand for the centre of Saint Peter’s Square. Dem bury am for the cemetery wey dey nearby for Vatican Hill, and im grave become place of pilgrimage for the early Christians. After Constantine make Christianity legal, he come know the deep respect wey people get for the grave of this Prince of the Apostles. So he build wetin dem now dey call Old Saint Peter’s Basilica to help devotion grow and encourage people to go there on pilgrimage. Pope Sylvester dedicate the first basilica around the year 324 or 326, and e remain for more than one thousand years, as dem dey add parts and rebuild am during that time.
Until 1305, popes dey live for the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, no be for Saint Peter’s. When dem elect Pope Clement V as pope, he move the whole papal court go Avignon, France in 1309. E remain there until Pope Gregory XI return to Rome from Avignon in 1377. When the pope return to Rome, the Lateran Palace don spoil because of two fires. So the pope build new papal palace beside Old Saint Peter’s for Vatican Hill, where every pope wey come after am don live. As the sixteenth century dey begin, Old Saint Peter’s don spoil well-well. So in 1505, Pope Julius II order make dem pull am down and begin rebuild am. This rebuilding continue through the reigns of twenty-one popes wey come after am, and dem finish am 120 years later. In 1626, Pope Urban VIII dedicate the Basilica of Saint Peter’s wey dey the Vatican today.
Saint Paul na evangelist wey no dey tire and the Church theologian wey stand out pass all, as he spread the Gospel far and wide, and directly establish plenty Christian communities and help them grow for faith. Dem also recognise am as one of the earliest and most important people wey convert to the faith. After one outstanding ministry of evangelization, dem arrest Paul for Jerusalem. Because he be Roman citizen, he appeal to the Roman emperor. After that, dem put am for prison, and two years later dem carry am go Rome for im trial. When Nero begin im persecutions shortly after, dem cut off Paul head on or around the same day wey dem crucify Saint Peter. People believe say dem cut off Paul head just outside the city walls, for the Ostian Way. Dem bury am near that place.
Just as e be for di Old Saint Peter’s Basilica, na Emperor Constantine build di Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls on top Saint Paul grave, and Pope Sylvester dedicate am for 324. For di next 1,500 years, di popes wey come one after another expand di basilica, repair am, and decorate am. For 1823, fire destroy almost di whole basilica. For di thirty years wey follow, dem redesign and rebuild di church into di one wey we get today. Dem finish am, and Pope Pius IX dedicate am for 1854.
As we dey honour di dedication of these two basilicas for Rome, no be only church buildings we dey honour; we dey honour di apostles wey dem dedicate di buildings to. Every year, for June 29, di Church dey celebrate di Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, to honour di special ministries wey dem carry out as foundation for di Church. Today, November 18, we dey honour these two saints again as we remember di dedication of di basilicas wey dem dedicate to them and build on top their graves.
As sign, just as their graves be foundation for these two church buildings, na so their lives and ministry be foundation for di whole Church. Saint Peter na di first pope and source of unity. Na him dem give di keys to di Kingdom of Heaven, and na about him Jesus talk say, “And so I dey tell you, you be Peter, and na on top this rock I go build my church, and di gates of di land of di dead no go overcome am” (Matthew 16:18). Saint Paul na di great evangelist to di Gentiles, and e stand as sign of di Church missionary life and di way she dey explain di faith through theology, because of di plenty writings wey e write, wey make up most of di New Testament. Even though Saint Peter di Rock na di centre wey unite us, we must go reach di ends of di earth and share di Gospel with everybody, like Saint Paul. Because these apostles get great importance, every bishop for di whole world must make one “ad limina apostolorum” visit to Rome once every five years. During di visit, e dey give di pope report about im diocese and visit di tombs of these two apostles.
As we dey honour these two great saints and show deep respect for their graves, reflect on di fact say God call all of us to become foundations wey dem go continue to build di Church on top. Our lives must become source of unity for people wey believe, and means wey God go use send His Word to other people. Today, renew how you dedicate your own life to Christ mission, so you go fit follow di holy lives of these two men of God and their great courage more fully.
Prayer: Saints Peter and Paul, God use una in special and powerful ways wey still dey touch di lives of God people deeply today. Abeg, pray for me, make I too become foundation wey God go continue to build His Church on top, and wey di message of salvation go spread from. Saints Peter and Paul, pray for me. Jesus, na You I trust.
Dem take dis reflection from:
Saint Dem and Feast Dem for di Liturgical Year
Volume One–Four
Read about this Memorial:
Catholic Saint Dem & Feast Dem
Butler: Di Life Story of di Saint dem
All di Saint Dem for di Liturgical Year
(Short Version)
November 18: Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles—Memorial Wey No Be Obligation
After Emperor Constantine the Great make Christianity legal for di Roman Empire for 313, e build churches, including four basilicas for Rome: Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter’s on Vatican Hill, Holy Cross of Jerusalem, and Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Today, di Church dey celebrate di dedication of Saint Peter’s on Vatican Hill and Saint Paul Outside the Walls.
For 64, one great fire destroy large part of Rome. Plenty historians believe say na Emperor Nero set di fires by imself, so e go get excuse to rebuild some parts of di city. Nero blame di Christians for di fire and begin di first organised persecution of Christians for di empire. Saints Peter and Paul dey among di plenty people wey dem arrest and kill because of their faith. Di two basilicas mark di places where dem execute them.
People believe say Peter, di Prince of di Apostles and Bishop of Rome, na upside-down dem crucify am for di Circus of Nero, near di ancient Egyptian obelisk wey now stand for di centre of Saint Peter’s Square. Dem bury am for Vatican Hill, and im grave become place of pilgrimage. After Constantine make Christianity legal, e build di Old Saint Peter’s Basilica to help devotion grow and encourage pilgrimages. Pope Sylvester dedicate am around 324 or 326, and e remain for more than one thousand years.
Until 1305, popes dey live for di Basilica of Saint John Lateran. After di Avignon Papacy end and Pope Gregory XI return to Rome for 1377, di Lateran Palace don spoil because of two fires. Di pope build new papal palace next to di Old Saint Peter’s on Vatican Hill, where every pope wey come after am don live. By di early sixteenth century, di Old Saint Peter’s don spoil well-well, so Pope Julius II order make dem pull am down and begin rebuild am. Dem finish di work 120 years later. For 1626, Pope Urban VII dedicate di Basilica of Saint Peter wey dey di Vatican today.
Saint Paul, di Church evangelist wey no dey tire and theologian wey stand out pass others, start many Christian communities and help dem grow. After dem arrest Paul for Jerusalem, e use im right as Roman citizen appeal to di Roman emperor, and two years later, dem carry am go Rome for trial. Dem cut off im head on di same day wey dem crucify Saint Peter, or around dat day. Na just outside di city walls dem cut off im head and bury am.
Emperor Constantine build di Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls on top Saint Paul grave. For di next 1,500 years, di popes wey come one after another expand di basilica, renovate am, and decorate am. For 1823, fire destroy almost di whole basilica. For di next thirty years, dem design di church again and rebuild am. Pope Pius IX complete am and dedicate am for 1854.
Just as their graves be foundation for these two churches, na so Peter and Paul lives and ministries be foundation for di Church. Saint Peter, di first pope, receive di keys to di Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus talk about am say, “And so I tell you, you be Peter, and na on top this rock I go build my church, and di gates of di world of di dead no go overcome am” (Matthew 16:18). Saint Paul, di great evangelist to di Gentiles, represent di Church missionary life and di way di Church dey explain di faith through theology. Na im writings make up most of di New Testament. Even though na Saint Peter be our centre and na through am we dey united, we must go reach di ends of di earth, dey share di Gospel like Saint Paul. Every bishop for di whole world must make one “ad limina apostolorum” visit to Rome once every five years to report to di pope about im diocese and visit di tombs of di two apostles.
Saints Peter and Paul, God use una in powerful ways wey don touch di lives of God people deeply. Abeg, pray make I become foundation wey God go continue to build His Church on, and wey di message of salvation go spread from. Saints Peter and Paul, pray for me. Jesus, na You I trust.