Word to the Wise
Thursday, August 7, 2008 - Thursday in the Eighteenth Week of Ordinary Time
[Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Matthew 16:13-23]Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I saw 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.
The new authority given to Peter follows on his profession of faith: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus recognizes that Peter's faith is not something that comes from any source other than God. It is like the new covenant in the scripture from Jeremiah today. This faith is not written in books or tablets of stone but in the heart. It is THIS faith and the ability to communicate it that is the foundation of the Church and especially of the Successor of Peter, the Pope. His special role is to be placed alongside another place in the Gospel of Matthew that grants similar powers to the whole Church. (Matt. 18:18). The Church has spent centuries trying to live out this commission - not always successfully, but often in an inspired way. Peter's response to Jesus' question is something that might give us pause. Notice the variety of replies given by the disciples. These may well reflect their own limited views as well as those of the people they've been talking to! Current surveys of people in the pews do not show a consistent or even "orthodox" view of Jesus! They range from King of Kings and Lord of Lords to a really great ethical teacher or prophet! The response that Jesus recognizes is the one that Peter gave: "You are the Christ, the son of the living God." Write that as a new covenant in the heart! AMEN The new authority given to Peter follows on his profession of faith: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus recognizes that Peter's faith is not something that comes from any source other than God. It is like the new covenant in the scripture from Jeremiah today. This faith is not written in books or tablets of stone but in the heart. It is THIS faith and the ability to communicate it that is the foundation of the Church and especially of the Successor of Peter, the Pope. His special role is to be placed alongside another place in the Gospel of Matthew that grants similar powers to the whole Church. (Matt. 18:18). The Church has spent centuries trying to live out this commission - not always successfully, but often in an inspired way. Peter's response to Jesus' question is something that might give us pause. Notice the variety of replies given by the disciples. These may well reflect their own limited views as well as those of the people they've been talking to! Current surveys of people in the pews do not show a consistent or even "orthodox" view of Jesus! They range from King of Kings and Lord of Lords to a really great ethical teacher or prophet! The response that Jesus recognizes is the one that Peter gave: "You are the Christ, the son of the living God." Write that as a new covenant in the heart! AMEN