How marvelous it is that God chooses us to be part of the working of His great plan of salvation in all the Earth. He seeks after the lowly and humble, like Peter to serve His purposes. In the Gospel reading from Matthew, when Jesus asked His Apostles Who He is, Peter declared Him to be "the "Christ, the Son of the Living God." In his homily this morning, Father Hurlbert indicated that Peter's response would be considered blasphemy, to refer to a human as God. But Jesus commends Peter, noting how God has worked in him to inspire him to give that response.
And having given Him such inspiration, Jesus declares that the Church will be built on the rock that He declares Simon Peter to be, and the Church will triumph over all evil, because of the presence of God within it. While those words about the gates of Hell not prevailing against the Church make it seem like Hell won't triumph over the Church, I once heard an interpretation suggest that the Church will actually smash through the gates of Hell victoriously vanquishing it.
Jesus grants Peter a measure of authority, symbolized by the key, like is also given to Eliakim to be the servant in the palace. We continue to see this authority lived out today through the Pope, the successor of Peter, who as the leader of the Church, continues to unify us as the body of Christ, because of the power of the Holy Spirit working in Him to proclaim the teachings of the Church.
And we, too, are given a measure of authority because God works in us so marvelously, putting His very presence in us, so that we can manifest His presence to all the world, so long as we keep ourselves fixed on the declaration of who Jesus really is, because everything is "from Him and through Him and for Him" as St. Paul writes so eloquently. Indeed, Father Hurlbert further mentioned that Christianity is unique as a religion because there is so much focus on the identity of who Jesus Christ is, much as the conversation in the Gospel reading in Matthew focuses not on Jesus's teachings or works, but His identity. For once we're fixed and firm in acknowledging Who Jesus is, we are able to make Him known as we live out our relationship with Him.
Jesus grants Peter a measure of authority, symbolized by the key, like is also given to Eliakim to be the servant in the palace. We continue to see this authority lived out today through the Pope, the successor of Peter, who as the leader of the Church, continues to unify us as the body of Christ, because of the power of the Holy Spirit working in Him to proclaim the teachings of the Church.
And we, too, are given a measure of authority because God works in us so marvelously, putting His very presence in us, so that we can manifest His presence to all the world, so long as we keep ourselves fixed on the declaration of who Jesus really is, because everything is "from Him and through Him and for Him" as St. Paul writes so eloquently. Indeed, Father Hurlbert further mentioned that Christianity is unique as a religion because there is so much focus on the identity of who Jesus Christ is, much as the conversation in the Gospel reading in Matthew focuses not on Jesus's teachings or works, but His identity. For once we're fixed and firm in acknowledging Who Jesus is, we are able to make Him known as we live out our relationship with Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment