A Hymn for the Apostles´ Fast (English)

The Faithful servant of the Lord,
Shall receive a great reward,
In Jesus they have great faith,
In His kingdom is their place.

In Bethesda, St. Peter was born,
A zealous and loving heart he owned,
He was chosen by the Lord,
To shepherd His flock and teach His word.

On the shores of Galilee Jesus met,
Peter and Andrew casting their nets,
He told them "Come and follow Me,
I will make you fishers of men."

Some people thought Jesus was Jeremiah,
Others thought He was John or Elijah,
But Peter uttered with his blessed tongue,
"You are the Christ, the Son of God."

Jesus blessed Peter and to him He said,
"Peter, you are the rock of faith,
Upon this rock I build My Church,
The gates of Hell cannot stand against."

All the disciples of the Lord,
Left everything when they were called,
Followed Jesus in the narrow road,
And spread the Gospel all abroad.

He appointed them to preach the faith,
The keys of heaven, to them He gave,
"You shall be witnesses for My name,
In Jerusalem, Judea and all the earth."

Saul born in the city of Tarsus.
To the Church he was a persecutor,
Was converted on the way to Damascus,
To a believer and a great preacher.

His eyes were blinded when he saw the Lord,
Fell to the earth when His light shone,
"Why do you persecute Me, Saul?
It´s hard to kick against the goads."

Terrified, Saul looked up to the Lord,
"Lord what do You want me to do?"
Jesus said, "To Damascus go,
There, you´ll know what you must do."

Led by the hands, for he could not see,
For three days, neither drank nor ate,
Upon him, the hands of Ananias were laid,
His sight and the Holy Spirit, he received.

The apostle Paul filled with grace,
With Christ´s love, his heart was aflame,
Wrote epistles while in chains,
Turning Jews and Gentiles to the Christian faith.

At the time of evil Nero,
Persecution against the Christians grew,
"Execute Peter and Paul,
Crucify one and the other by the sword."

When the time of crucifixion had come,
Peter said before everyone,
"Crucify me with my head down,
For like My Master, I deserve not to be."

At the feast of the Apostles we celebrate,
Peter and Paul killed for Jesus´ sake,
The crown of martyrdom, they deserve,
Their teachings, the Church observes.

We praise you Peter and Paul,
In all nations, your lights have shone,
We ask your blessings upon us all,
Remember us before the throne.