February 22, 2019
Friday
1ST Week of LentFeast of the Chair of Peter
1st Reading: 1 P 5:1–4
Gospel: Mt 16:13–19
Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, “What do people say of the Son of Man? Who do they say I am?” 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 Barjona, 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 (or Rock) 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.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Today’s Feast of the Chair of St. Peter gives us a chance to reflect on his authority. Isaiah 22:22 already made reference to a key of the house of David placed on the shoulder of one who when he opens no one shall close and when he closes no one shall open. Revelation 3:7 also mentions about a holy one “who has the key of David so that when he opens nobody can close and when he closes nobody can open.”
Today’s Gospel refers to Peter as holder of the key to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said: “And now I say to you: You are Peter (or Rock) and on this rock I will build my Church…” The Old Testament understood the word Church as a community of the chosen people especially the remnants of the desert community such as the Essenes of Qumran. In today’s Gospel reading Jesus used “Church” to refer to the community formed under the covenant to be sealed with his Blood.
Jesus said to Peter, “And now I say to you: You are Peter (or Rock) and on this rock I will build my Church; (…) “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…” The use of the word “Church” in verse 18 side by side wit the word “kingdom” in verse 19 seems to indicate that Jesus wanted the heavenly community to begin here on earth as an organized society of which Peter was the head.
Peter handed down this authority to his successor. Popes are human and prone to mistakes. But in the exercise of that authority they are infallible. Infallibility is given to the office, not to the person of the pope. That is why when Benedict XVI stepped down he merely passed the authority to Francis. It is necessary that the authority remain in the Church to make sure God’s flock is prepared for heaven to form that eschatological community in the kingdom of God. –(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya? I-type ang BANDERA REACT
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Bandera. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.