Saturday, June 29, 2013

June 29: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

History

Saint Peter was named Simon by his parents. He and his brother, Saint Andrew, were fishermen when Jesus came up and called them to be His disciples. Peter was always very humble and full of faith in Jesus, even when he didn’t understand what Jesus was trying to teach him. Jesus gave him the name “Peter,” which means “Rock.” Peter is talked about in the Bible more than any other disciple. Even though he wasn’t perfect, Jesus loved Peter and gave him “the keys to the kingdom”, making him the first earthly leader of the Church. 

Saint Paul also had a different name when he was young: Saul. Saul was a faithful Jew who started out hating the Christians. He even persecuted them until he was on the road to Damascus and he was blinded by a bright light. He heard Jesus' voice say, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" After that, Saul became a faithful Christian and he preached Jesus' Gospel in many different places. He took the name "Paul" because it means "least" or "little. Paul faced a lot of trouble, including a shipwreck, prison and beatings, but he stayed faithful to Jesus. 

Activity

Today is a solemnity and it some countries, it's a Holy Day of Obligation when everybody goes to Mass. Even if you can't make it to Mass today, it's good to have a special meal or special snacks. These pretzels are tasty and easy to make using a recipe from Catholic Cuisine. You can shape them into symbols that represent Saints Peter and Paul. For Saint Peter, you can make the pretzels into key shapes or croziers (shepherd's hooks). For Saint Paul, you can make swords or anchors. 

Ingredients

•   1 1/2 cups warm water
•   1 package yeast
•   1 tablespoon sugar
•   1 tablespoon salt
•   4 cups flour
•   1 egg (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 425°. Dissolve the yeast in warm water.  Add the sugar and salt.  Mix in the flour and knead until the dough is smooth.  

2. Shape the dough into keys or other symbols. (Click here to see photos of other children making key shapes out of the dough – you can make yours the same size or smaller and thinner). Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

3. Brush the dough with a beaten egg to give the keys a golden finish. You can sprinkle them with a little kosher salt if you want to. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy. 

Saint Peter and Saint Paul, pray for us!


More reading for parents:

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