Better Than The Al Franken Decade

The Pauline Year officially begins one year from today. The Pope announced it at the traditional vespers of Ss. Peter & Paul --held non-traditionally at St. Paul's Outside The Walls.

In the Roman basilica dedicated to the Apostle to the Nations, the Pope stressed this afternoon the witness, which united Paul and Peter up to their martyrdom, during the first vespers for the Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul.
Planned as part of the celebrations of Saint Paul’s birthday(which historians place between 7 and 10 AD), the Pauline Year—from June 28,2008 till June 29, 2009— will be in the Pope’s words “a series of liturgical, cultural and ecumenical events as well as pastoral and social initiatives inspired by St Paul’s spirituality.”
“There will be conferences and special studies on St Paul’s writings which will improve our understanding of the wealth of learning they contain—a real legacy for humanity redeemed by Christ. Around the world in local dioceses, shrines and places of worship, religious, educational and welfare institutions bearing St Paul’s name or inspired by him and his teachings will be able to organise similar initiatives.”

Today's solemnity marks the day around the year 64 when both Peter & Paul were martyred.

the action of Church is credible and effective only to the extent that its members are willing to personally pay for their fidelity to Christ in every situation.

I always associate this feast with the Pyrenees because the summer I was received into the Church I worked what's called a "stage" in Lourdes ( in 3-week increments, volunteers attend to the sick and do odd jobs at the hostels where the sick pilgrims stay). We stayed with some nuns in Segus, just outside Lourdes, and on this, my first major feast day in the Church, we took the day off and went hiking in the mountains.

Update: Here are the homilies from last night's vespers and this morning's mass. Scroll to posts 8092 & 8102, respectively. From the mass:

The people thought Jesus was a prophet. That is not false, but it is not enough. One has to go in depth, to recognize the singularity of the person of Jesus of Nazareth, his 'newness.'

Even today, it is so: many approach Jesus, so to speak, from the outside. Great scholars acknowledge his spiritual and moral stature and his influence on the history of mankind, comparing him to Buddha, Confucius, Socrates and other wise and great historic personalities. But they do not arrive at acknowledging his uniqueness.

One recalls what Jesus told Phillip at the Last Supper: "I have been with you so long and still you do not know me, Phillip?" (Jn 14,9). Jesus is often considered as one of the great religious founders, from whom one can take something in order to make up one's own belief. Just as then, even today, 'people' have different opinions about Jesus.

And just as then, Jesus also asks us, his disciples today: "And you, who do you think that I am?"

We want Peter's answer to be ours. According to the Gospel of Mark, he said, "You are the Christ" (8,29); in Luke, the statement is "The Christ of God" (9,20); in Matthew, "You are the Christ, Son of the living God" (16,16); finally, in John, "You are the Holy One from God" (6.69).