The power to bind

Thursday, August 04, 201618th Week in
Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Jer 31: 31-34 Gospel: Matthew 16:13-23

Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of man is?” They said, “For some of them you are John the Baptist, for others Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “It is well for you, Simon Bar jona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.

“And now I say to you: You are Peter (orRock) and on this rock I will build my Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it.

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven.”

Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

From that day Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem; he would suffer many things from the Jewish authorities, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and be raised on the third day.

Then Peter took him aside and began to reproach him, “Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to you.” But Jesus turned to him and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path. You are thinking not as God does, but as people do.”

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)

With the keys of heaven symbolically given to Peter, Jesus committed God’s approval to Peter’s decisions. There is no office as powerful as binding heaven to one’s official acts on earth. Peter alone received this power from Jesus (Matt. 16:16). Notwithstanding this important office, Peter remained mortal and had to pass it on to his successors upon his death. The popes that succeeded him likewise died but the office of papacy endured and will endure. As long as Christ remains faithful to his commitment to be with us until the end of time (Matt. 28:20), the Church under the guidance of the pope will endure.

One major consequence of popes running the Church is vulnerability to human weaknesses. The scandals within the Church we hear today are nothing compared to the scandals in the past. Jesus knew human weakness could get the upper hand yet he took the risk of entrusting his Church to Peter, a human Apostle. Would we be better off with an angel for a pope? One obvious advantage of humans occupying the papacy is that in human weakness “God’s power reaches perfection” (2 Cor. 12:9). – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM, MMExM, MAPM, REB. Email:[email protected].

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