Matthew 16:13-19
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Dawg's thought:
Today's prayer intention is for those who struggle with their own self-image, that they may come know their dignity through Christ.
Today is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Apostle.
God is the Giver of all good gifts, and in today's reading, Jesus gives us the first pope: Peter. Today we celebrate Jesus' gift to us.
Here's a quote from the New Advent Web site regarding God's gift to us:
--
"Here then Christ teaches plainly that in the future the Church will be the society of those who acknowledge Him, and that this Church will be built on Peter.
"The expression presents no difficulty. In both the Old and New Testaments the Church is often spoken of under the metaphor of God's house. Peter is to be to the Church what the foundation is in regard to a house.
"He is to be the principle of unity, of stability, and of increase. He is the principle of unity, since what is not joined to that foundation is no part of the Church; of stability, since it is the firmness of this foundation in virtue of which the Church remains unshaken by the storms which buffet her; of increase, since, if she grows, it is because new stones are laid on this foundation."
--
Praise God for giving us the gift of Peter, and his successors, as a means of stability and unity that continues in our Church today.
Take care and God Bless.
|
