13 And Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is?
Venit autem Jesus in partes Caesareae Philippi : et interrogabat discipulos suos, dicens : Quem dicunt homines esse Filium hominis?
14 But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
At illi dixerunt : Alii Joannem Baptistam, alii autem Eliam, alii vero Jeremiam, aut unum ex prophetis.
15 Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?
Dicit illis Jesus : Vos autem, quem me esse dicitis?
16 Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.
Respondens Simon Petrus dixit : Tu es Christus, Filius Dei vivi.
17 And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
Respondens autem Jesus, dixit ei : Beatus es Simon Bar Jona : quia caro et sanguis non revelavit tibi, sed Pater meus, qui in caelis est.
18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Et ego dico tibi, quia tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam, et portae inferi non praevalebunt adversus eam.
19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.
Et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum. Et quodcumque ligaveris super terram, erit ligatum et in caelis : et quodcumque solveris super terram, erit solutum et in caelis
The Apostles Peter and Paul are the two Princes of the Apostles, the foundations of the Church, on which she is firmly established as on a rock. This feast is almost entirely devoted to St Peter, the Bishop of Rome, the great Apostle of the Gentiles being more specially honored on June 30th. The lessons and prayers of this Mass describe how his Lord and Master Jesus Christ prepared the fervent Aostle, St Peter, for the supreme office of the Papacy.
After the Descent of the Holy Ghost St Peter preached the Gospel in Judea and was cast into prison by Herod Agrippa. He was miraculously delivered by an Angel and established his see first at Antioch, and then finally at Rome, where the first pope exercised for twenty-five years the Supreme Authority vested in him by Christ Himself. He was arrested, and like St Paul suffered martyrdom A.D. 65. This feast marks the day of the translation of their relics.
