Third Day
Peter, the Unity of All the Church
In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A reading from a sermon by Saint Augustine
As you are aware, Jesus chose his disciples before his Passion and called
them Apostles; and among these almost everywhere Peter alone deserved to
represent the entire Church. And because of that role which he alone had,
he merited to hear the words: To you I shall give the keys of the Kingdom of
heaven. For it was not one man who received the keys, but the entire
Church considered as one… Rightly then did the Lord after his
Resurrection entrust Peter with the feeding of his sheep. Yet he was not the
only disciple to merit the feeding of the Lord’s sheep; but Christ in
speaking only to one suggests the unity of all; and so he speaks to Peter,
because Peter is first among the Apostles. (Sermo 295, nos. 2, 4)
Pause for silent prayer.
Pray one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.
— And let perpetual light shine upon him.
O God, who chose your servant Pope Francis
from among your Priests
and endowed him with pontifical dignity
in the apostolic priesthood,
grant, we pray,
that he may also be admitted to their company for ever.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
