Today we celebrate the Festival of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles. Early Christian tradition holds that Ss. Peter and Paul were martyred on the same day in Rome under the persecution of Nero. In addition to their joint commemoration on June 29th (a festival the Church has observed since the third century or so), Ss. Peter and Paul are also commemorated separately in the calendar — St. Peter on the 18th of January for his confession of Christ and Paul on the 25th of January for his conversion. Both Peter and Paul are held up in Scripture as examples of men who, although flawed, became staunch defenders of and evangelists for the faith.

Today we commemorate Irenaeus of Lyons, Pastor. After studying in Rome, Irenaeus became a pastor in Lyons, France; during an absence from Lyons, a persecution arose against Christians and martyred Irenaeus’ bishop. Upon returning to Lyons, Irenaeus himself became bishop. As a writer, Irenaeus defended the Christian faith, and of particular note is a work of his against heresies — particularly Gnosticism.

Today we commemorate Cyril of Alexandria, Pastor and Confessor. Cyril became Archbishop of Alexandria in AD 412. A true defender of the faith and orthodoxy, Cyril produced a number of writings dealing with various theological matters. Cyril’s Christology had a significant impact on later theologians. Additionally, Cyril defended the truth that it is proper to call Mary the “Mother of God” or Theotokos, ‘the God-bearer’.

Today we commemorate Jeremiah. Prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah, Jeremiah predicted, witnessed, and lived through the Babylonian siege and destruction of Jerusalem. Through a lifetime of prophetic work, Jeremiah communicated God’s anger toward His rebellious people and often suffered at the hands of his countrymen. Although his death is unrecorded, it is believed that Jeremiah died in Egypt, after having been forcibly transported there.