MIRACULOUS MIRACLES^™

Prayer — Prayers of the Saints

Prayer to Sts. Peter and Paul

Indulgenced by Pius VI, 28 July 1778

'I elect you this day for my special protectors and advocates with God' — the rock and the vessel of election taken together, as Rome has always taken them, and as the Church keeps them on one feast.

The Prayer

English · Original

O blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, I elect you this day for my special protectors and advocates with God. In all humility I rejoice with thee, blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, because thou art the rock whereon God hath built His Church; and I rejoice with thee, too, blessed Paul, because thou wast chosen of God for a vessel of election and a preacher of the truth throughout the world.

Obtain for me, I beseech you both, a lively faith, firm hope, and perfect charity, entire detachment from myself, contempt of the world, patience in adversity, humility in prosperity, attention in prayer, purity of heart, right intention in my works, diligence in the fulfilment of all the duties of my state of life, constancy in my good resolutions, resignation to the holy will of God, perseverance in Divine grace unto death; that, having overcome, by your joint intercession and your glorious merits, the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil, I may be made worthy to appear before the face of the chief and eternal Shepherd of Souls, Jesus Christ our Lord, to enjoy Him and to love Him for all eternity, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever, world without end. Amen.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

When the Prayer is Said

On 29 June and through its octave; on 18 January and 25 January; for the Church and the Pope.

History & Background

Rome buried them in the same city in the same persecution and has never separated them since: one feast on 29 June, two basilicas, and in the old Roman art one embrace. This prayer takes them together and gives the reason for each — Peter because he is the rock on which the Church is built, Paul because he was chosen as a vessel of election and a preacher of the truth throughout the world.

What it then asks for is a list of eleven things, and the list is worth reading slowly, because it is a complete rule of life in one sentence: faith, hope, charity, detachment from self, contempt of the world, patience in adversity, humility in prosperity, attention in prayer, purity of heart, right intention, diligence in the duties of one's state, constancy, resignation, and perseverance unto death.

Pius VI indulgenced it in 1778, with a plenary indulgence for saying it in a church dedicated to the apostles on their feast or within its octave. The text is the Raccolta's of 1910.

Indulgences Attached

One hundred days once a day; plenary on any feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, or the nine days before or eight days after, for those who say it in a church or at an altar dedicated to them — Pius VI, 28 July 1778 (Raccolta, 1910, no. 320).

Related Saints

St. Peter the Apostle

early 1st century, Bethsaida – c. AD 64–67, Rome

St. Paul the Apostle

c. AD 5, Tarsus – c. AD 64–67, Rome

All Prayers