Father Stanko's Blog
PASTOR’S PONDERINGS
This week, on Tuesday, June 29, the Church celebrates a very important solemnity, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. These two men stand out as the two most important pillars of the early Church. Sant Peter became the first Pope, and St. Paul fearlessly preached the Gospel to the Gentiles.
The following day, we celebrate a very important Optional Memorial; an Optional Memorial is one that we don’t have to celebrate. However, I will make sure that it is celebrated. This is the Optional Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome who were put to death at the Vatican Circus under the emperor Nero in the year 64.
This persecution was in response to a terrible fire that erupted in Rome which lasted for seven days and six nights. The Romans began to blame Nero for a slow response to the fire. Therefore, Nero used the Christians as scapegoats and held them responsible for the conflagration. as human torches. The persecution was so horrific that it even elicited the indignation of the pagans. It was during the persecution of Nero that both Peter and Paul were executed - Peter by crucifixion (upside down) and Paul by beheading. Both were killed in the year 67, the last year of Nero’s reign
A terrible persecution broke out which saw the victims ripped to pieces by wild beasts or burned alive to serve