Though this Feast fittingly celebrates the memory of Saints Peter and Paul together, the first Reading from Acts and the Gospel both focus on Peter. The second reading, though from Paul's second Letter to Timothy, is of a generic nature and can apply to all who "have fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith", as both Peter and Paul did in their martyrdom. Thus the Church follows the intention of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, in honouring Peter somewhat more than Paul.

Even though Paul seems to have had a severe disagreement with Peter at one point, there was no split in the Community. When some factions did form in Corinthian, it was not a matter of Paul versus Peter on questions of faith but of mere human partisanship. Furthermore such partisanship was part of a pattern in the Corinthian community, arising from immature faith and misunderstandings. Paul severely demanded that they put a stop to such partisanship in his Letter to that community (1Cor 1:12,3:22).

Paul was respectful to the authority of the Apostles and the Jerusalem Church, as we read in the Vigil Mass yesterday. Differences in the early Church did not disintegrate into disunity.