When Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, casting a fishing net into the water. He called to them, "Come, and I will make you fishers of men." Simon Peter and Andrew dropped their net to follow Jesus. Simon Peter stayed close to Jesus and saw many miracles. One time, Jesus cured his mother-in-law of a fever.

Sometimes Simon Peter was strong and sometimes he was afraid. When Simon Peter was Jesus walking on water he asked Jesus to let him walk across the water to meet him, but then he became afraid and began to sink. Jesus said, "O thou of little faith, why did you doubt?"

But when Jesus and his followers went into a village he asked "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered firmly, "You are the Christ, son of the living God." (Matthew xvi, 13-18; Mark viii, 27-29; Luke ix, 18- 20.) Then Jesus told him that his name would henceforth be Peter. In Jesus’ language, the name Peter means rock. Jesus said, "You are Peter, and upon this rock shall be built My church."

When Jesus began to prepare his disciples for the end of his life on earth, Peter said, "Lord, with you I am ready to go both to prison and to death." But Jesus told him that before the rooster crowed in the morning Peter would deny knowing him three times. Jesus was betrayed by Judas, and was taken by soldiers to the Jewish high priest. Peter hid in the courtyard, but when someone saw him, he swore he didn’t know Jesus. Peter was forgiven and told Jesus that he loved him three times after he rose from the dead. Jesus told Peter, "Feed my sheep." From that time on Peter was the leader of the followers of Jesus.

Peter was the first apostle to perform a miracle after Jesus died. He healed a beggar who could not walk. He preached and spread the word of Jesus to Jewish people and others. He became the first bishop of Rome and is buried under St. Peter’s Cathedral there.