Saturday - February 22, 2020
The
saints are like the stars. In his providence Christ conceals them in a hidden
place that they may not shine before others when they might wish to do so. Yet they
are always ready to exchange the quiet of contemplation for the works of mercy
as soon as they perceive in their heart the invitation of Christ.
- Saint
Anthony of Padua
TODAY'S READINGS
February 22 2020
Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle
Lectionary: 535
Reading 11 PT 5:1-4
Beloved:
I exhort the presbyters among you,
as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ
and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.
Tend the flock of God in your midst,
overseeing not by constraint but willingly,
as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
Do not lord it over those assigned to you,
but be examples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd is revealed,
you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
I exhort the presbyters among you,
as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ
and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.
Tend the flock of God in your midst,
overseeing not by constraint but willingly,
as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
Do not lord it over those assigned to you,
but be examples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd is revealed,
you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Responsorial Psalm23:1-3A, 4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
AlleluiaMT 16:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church;
the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church;
the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 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.”
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.”
******************************
YOUR CHURCH, MY CHURCH, OUR CHURCH
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 Messiah, 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.”
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, grant me true faith in your promise that the gates of the netherworld would not prevail against your Church. I trust in you and your guiding hand.
Encountering Christ:
1. Jesus’s Intentionality: Visiting the Holy Land helps to bring Jesus’s words and actions into context. It’s possible to see layers of meaning behind the parables Jesus told and the locations he chose for certain actions. This passage is the perfect example. Caesarea Philippi, also known today as Banias, was the Greeks Panias, named after their god Pan. In those days, a spring flowed from a large cave carved out of a sheer cliff face. Shrines to their god surrounded it. Jesus chose that place to elicit a profession of faith from his apostles and to entrust the keys of the Kingdom to Peter. He chose that place to establish the true worship of one God through his Church.
2. Binding and Loosing: As Jesus gave the keys of the Kingdom to Peter, he conferred the power to bind and loose. This rabbinic expression refers to two actions: to declare an action prohibited or permitted (a doctrinal-interpretative disposition) and to inflict or take away a penalty; and to exclude or welcome back someone to the community (an authoritative-juridical measurement). Two thousand years later, the Church sees the successor of Peter still holding the keys. He possesses, by virtue of his office, the charism of authority to safeguard true worship of our God. Do we trust in this gift? Do we pray that this gift to the Church is exercised to the fullest?
3. “And the Gates of the Netherworld Shall Not Prevail against It”: Anti-Christian cultures, secular worldviews, and internal division within the Church make it difficult to believe that the “gates of the netherworld will not prevail against the Church.” But just as Peter could not fathom the Messiah’s plan to suffer death, we do not understand the path of suffering that the Mystical Body continues to endure from inside and out. This reality reminds us, however, that we are still on a journey of purification. We have not yet reached the eternal promised land. Neither is the Church equal to the Kingdom of God in its fullness.
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I trust in you. Your Kingdom come! Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will offer a prayer and/or sacrifice for the Pope and for Christians who need special grace to persevere.
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God Bless You.....
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day
through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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