St. Peter Frying Fish Oven Mitt

Fish was a staple of the diet in the Holy Land in antiquity. It still is. At least four of the Twelve Apostles—Andrew, James (the Greater), John, and Peter—earned their pre-Apostolic livelihood as fishermen. Today, the Galilean tilapia is known as “St. Peter’s fish.” Scholars opine that it was from the mouth of a tilapia that St. Peter once withdrew a coin from a fish that he caught at Christ’s behest in order to pay the Temple tax for himself and for Jesus (Matthew 17:23-26). + Though St. Peter was married (or widowed) and undoubtedly enjoyed many a home-cooked meal prepared by his wife or mother-in-law as an adult, he himself probably knew his way around a kitchen and certainly around an open campfire. Even Jesus cooked. After the Resurrection, He fed the Apostles fish (probably tilapia) for breakfast on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. + Here Saints_Aplenty has depicted St. Peter frying up fish on an indoor stone, wood-burning “stove.” He is humorously equipped with anachronistic tools—a spatula, an oven mitt, and a red enameled frying pan. A Saints-Aplenty exclusive, the image is a pastiche of elements extracted from 19th-century devotional prints and public domain resources against a repurposed pizza maker’s oven background from Pixabay. St. Peter, who pairs nicely with St. Andrew, is the second in a projected series of genially humourous “Apron Saints,” saints associated with food and drink. The St. Peter apron and accessories—oven mitt, potholders, and kitchen towels--are especially appropriate for a Church-sponsored Lenten Fish Fry! + St. Peter is a patron saint of fishermen, fish merchants, and net makers. + Feast: June 29