Thursday of the Eighteenth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 410
Lectionary: 410
The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers:
the day I took them by the hand
to lead them forth from the land of Egypt;
for they broke my covenant,
and I had to show myself their master, says the LORD.
But this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD.
I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives
how to know the LORD.
All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD,
for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel
and the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers:
the day I took them by the hand
to lead them forth from the land of Egypt;
for they broke my covenant,
and I had to show myself their master, says the LORD.
But this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD.
I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts;
I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
No longer will they have need to teach their friends and relatives
how to know the LORD.
All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the LORD,
for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19
R. (12a) Create
a clean heart in me, O God.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
AlleluiaMT 16:18
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and 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,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 16:13-23
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
and 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."
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
He turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
and 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."
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
He turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
Meditation: "You are the Christ -
the Son of the living God"
How firm is your faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ? At an opportune time Jesus tested his disciples with a
crucial question: Who do men say that I am
and who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:13). Jesus was widely recognized in Israel as a mighty
man of God, even being compared with the greatest of the prophets, John the
Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah. Peter, always quick to respond, exclaimed that
Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Through the gift of faith Peter recognized that Jesus
was the "anointed one" (in Hebrew and Greek the word is translated
as Messiah and Christ), and the only begotten Son
of God sent by the Father in heaven to redeem a fallen human race. No mortal
being could have revealed this to Peter; but only God. Jesus then conferred on
Peter authority to govern the church that Jesus would build, a church that no
powers could overcome. Jesus played on Peter's name which is the same word for
"rock" in both Aramaic and Greek.
Spiritual rock and living stones
To call someone a "rock" is one of the greatest of compliments. The ancient rabbis had a saying that when God saw Abraham, he exclaimed: "I have discovered a rock to found the world upon." Abraham put his trust in God and made God's word the foundation of his life and the bedrock of his faith. Through Abraham God established a nation for himself. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly was. He was the first apostle to proclaim that Jesus was truly the Anointed One (Messiah and Christ) and the only begotten Son of God.
To call someone a "rock" is one of the greatest of compliments. The ancient rabbis had a saying that when God saw Abraham, he exclaimed: "I have discovered a rock to found the world upon." Abraham put his trust in God and made God's word the foundation of his life and the bedrock of his faith. Through Abraham God established a nation for himself. Through faith Peter grasped who Jesus truly was. He was the first apostle to proclaim that Jesus was truly the Anointed One (Messiah and Christ) and the only begotten Son of God.
The New Testament describes the church, the people of
God, as a spiritual house and temple of the Holy Spirit with each member joined
together as living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5). Faith in Jesus
Christ makes us into rocks - spiritual stones. The
Lord Jesus tests each of us personally with the same question: Who do
you say that I am?
"Lord Jesus, I profess and believe that you are
the Christ, the Son of the living God. You are my Lord and my Savior who has
set me free from sin and deception. Make my faith strong like the Apostles
Peter and Paul and give me boldness to speak of you to others that they may
come to know you as Lord and Savior."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Only by hope, by Basil the Great, 329-379 A.D.
"'Turn, O my soul, into your rest: for the Lord
has been bountiful to you' (Psalm 114:7). The brave contestant applies to
himself the consoling words, very much like to Paul, when he says: 'I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. For
the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice.' These things the prophet
also says to himself: Since you have fulfilled sufficiently the course of this
life, turn then to your rest, 'for the Lord has been bountiful to you.' For,
eternal rest lies before those who have struggled through the present life
observant of the laws, a rest not given in payment for a debt owed for their
works but provided as a grace of the munificent God for those who have hoped in
him." (excerpt from HOMILIES 22)
THURSDAY,
AUGUST 9, MATTHEW 16:13-23
Weekday
(Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51)
Weekday
(Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51)
KEY VERSE: "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven" (v. 19).
TO KNOW: Jesus took his disciples to the area of Caesarea Philippi in northern Israel near Banias, where there was the Cave of Pan (the Roman god Faunus, half-goat, half-man). There was also a Temple built by Herod to honor the Emperor Augustus. In this political and pagan territory Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Peter confessed that Jesus was God's Son, the "Messiah" (the "anointed one"). Jesus declared Peter to be "blessed" for announcing this revelation from God. Jesus in turn affirmed Peter's identity and mission by calling him the "rock," the foundation of his Church. It was the rock of Peter's faith that enabled him to follow Jesus to his own death as a martyr. Because of Peter's new place among the Twelve, he was given the "keys" to God's kingdom with the power to "bind" and "loose," to allow or forbid according to God's law. The Pope is the apostolic successor of Peter, the supreme teaching authority of the Church. When the Pope speaks on matters of faith and morals it is said that he speaks "ex cathedra" (from the Chair of Peter) and this teaching is to be held by the universal Church. The powers of evil will not prevail over the Church.
TO LOVE: Do I respect the teaching authority of the Church?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to understand your presence in the Church.
"In essentials, unity, in doubtful matters, liberty, and in all things charity." (Pope John XXIII, Ad Petri Cathedram, attributed to St. Augustine)
Optional Memorial of Saint Teresa
Benedicta of the Cross, virgin and martyr
Edith Stein was the youngest of seven children in a Jewish family. She was a brilliant student and philosopher. She witnessed the faith of her Catholic friends, which led her to studying the catechism on her own, literally "reading herself into" the Faith. Edith was converted to Catholicism in Cologne, Germany, and was baptized in the cathedral church in 1922. She became a Carmelite nun in 1934, taking the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She was a teacher in the Dominican school in Speyer, and lecturer at the Educational Institute in Munich. However, anti-Jewish pressure from the Nazis forced her to resign both positions. She was smuggled out of Germany, and assigned to Echt, Holland in 1938. When the Nazis invaded Holland, she and her sister Rose, also a convert to Catholicism, were captured and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz where they died in the ovens like countless others.
Thursday 9
August 2018
Jeremiah 31:31-34. Psalm 50(51):12-15, 18-19. Matthew 16:13-23.
Create a clean heart in me, O God—Psalm 50(51):12-15, 18-19.
‘I shall be their God and they will be my people.’
Today’s Gospel helps us consider our beliefs: how they are
formed and what influences us. The disciples speak of the many ways people at
the time understood the ‘Son of Man’.
God gifted Peter with the recognition of Jesus as the Christ.
Because he was blessed in this special way, he was an obvious choice for
leadership of the faltering community. Over the centuries, Peter’s famous
replies and behaviour have endeared him to us with their simple spontaneous
power. Peter was so clear and confident of his new friend. He sensed the joy
that Jesus offered and was ready to be part of that journey. Jesus offered new
life and hope.
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Saint of the Day for August 9
(October 12, 1891 – August 9, 1942)
 |
| Portrait of Edith Stein in the student chapel of the Hochschulgemeinde Wien im Edith-Stein-Haus | photo by Braveheart |
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross’ Story
A brilliant philosopher who stopped believing in God when she
was 14, Edith Stein was so captivated by reading the autobiography of Teresa of
Avila that she began a spiritual journey that led to her baptism in 1922.
Twelve years later she imitated Saint Teresa by becoming a Carmelite, taking
the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.
Born into a prominent Jewish family in Breslau, Germany—now
Wroclaw, Poland—Edith abandoned Judaism in her teens. As a student at the
University of Göttingen, she became fascinated by phenomenology, an approach to
philosophy. Excelling as a protégé of Edmund Husserl, one of the leading
phenomenologists, Edith earned a doctorate in philosophy in 1916. She continued
as a university teacher until 1922 when she moved to a Dominican school in
Speyer; her appointment as lecturer at the Educational Institute of Munich
ended under pressure from the Nazis.
After living for four years in the Cologne Carmel, Sister Teresa
Benedicta moved to the Carmelite monastery in Echt, Netherlands, in 1938. The
Nazis occupied that country in 1940. In retaliation for being denounced by the
Dutch bishops, the Nazis arrested all Dutch Jews who had become Christians.
Teresa Benedicta and her sister Rosa, also a Catholic, died in a gas chamber in
Auschwitz on August 9, 1942.
Pope John Paul II beatified Teresa Benedicta of
the Cross in 1987, and canonized her 12 years later.
Reflection
The writings of Edith Stein fill 17 volumes, many of which have
been translated into English. A woman of integrity, she followed the truth
wherever it led her. After becoming a Catholic, Edith continued to honor her
mother’s Jewish faith. Sister Josephine Koeppel, O.C.D. , translator of several
of Edith’s books, sums up this saint with the phrase, “Learn to live at God’s
hands.”
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW
16,13-23
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father of everlasting goodness,
our origin and guide,
be close to us
and hear the prayers of all who praise you.
Forgive our sins and restore us to life.
Keep us safe in your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
our origin and guide,
be close to us
and hear the prayers of all who praise you.
Forgive our sins and restore us to life.
Keep us safe in your love.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading
Jesus came to the region of Caesarea
Philippi he put this question to his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of
man is?'
And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But you,' he said, 'who do you say I am?' Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'
Jesus replied, 'Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.' Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to say to anyone that he was the Christ. From then onwards Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to rebuke him. 'Heaven preserve you, Lord,' he said, 'this must not happen to you.' But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do.'
And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But you,' he said, 'who do you say I am?' Then Simon Peter spoke up and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'
Jesus replied, 'Simon son of Jonah, you are a blessed man! Because it was no human agency that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.' Then he gave the disciples strict orders not to say to anyone that he was the Christ. From then onwards Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. Then, taking him aside, Peter started to rebuke him. 'Heaven preserve you, Lord,' he said, 'this must not happen to you.' But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do.'
3) Reflection
• We are now in the narrative part
between the Discourse of the Parables (Mt 13) and the discourse of the
Community (Mt 18). In these narrative parts which link together the five Discourses,
Matthew usually follows the sequence of the Gospel of Mark. Once in a while, he
gives other information, also known by Luke. And here and there, he quotes
texts which appear only in the Gospel of Matthew, like for example the
conversation between Jesus and Peter, in today’s Gospel. This text has
different interpretations and even opposed ones in the diverse Christian
Churches.
• At that time, the communities fostered a very strong affective bond of union with the leaders who had given origin to the community. For example, the communities of Antioch in Syria, fostered their relationship with Peter. Those of Greece, with Paul. Some communities of Asia, with the Beloved disciple and others with the person of John of the Apocalypse. An identification with these leaders to whom they owed their origin helped the communities to foster better their identity and spirituality. But this could also be a reason for dispute, like in the case of the community of Corinth (1 Co 1,11-12).
• Matthew 16, 13-16: The opinions of the people and of the Disciples concerning Jesus. Jesus asks the opinion of the people concerning his person, the Son of Man. The responses are varied: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the Prophets. When Jesus asks the opinion of the Disciples, Peter becomes the spokesman and says: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” The response is not a new one. Before, the Disciples had said the same thing (Mt 14, 33). In John’s Gospel, the same profession of faith is made by Martha (Jn 11,27). It means that the prophecies of the Old Testament are realized in Jesus.
• Matthew 16, 17: The response of Jesus to Peter: "Blessed are you, Simon!” Jesus proclaims Peter “Blessed”, because he has received a revelation from the Father. Here, also, the response of Jesus is not new. Before, Jesus had praised the Father because he had revealed the Son to the little ones and not to the wise (Mt 11, 25-27) and had made the same proclamation of joy to the Disciples who were seeing and hearing new things which, before them, nobody knew nor had heard (Mt 13, 16).
• Matthew 16, 18-20: The attributions of Peter: To be rock and to receive the keys of the Kingdom.
(a) To be rock: Peter has to be Rock that is the stable basis for the Church in such a way that it can resist against the gates of hell. With these words which Jesus addressed to Peter, Matthew encourages the persecuted community of Syria and Palestine who see in Peter the leader who belongs to their origin. In spite of the persecution and the weakness, the community has a firm basis, guaranteed by the word of Jesus. The function of being rock based on faith evokes the word of God to the people in exile: “Listen to me you who pursue saving justice, you who seek Yahweh; consider the rock (pietra) from which you were hewn, the quarry from which you were dug; consider Abraham your father, and Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was the only one, but I blessed him and made him numerous” (Is 51, 1-2). This indicates that a new beginning of the People of God is with Peter.
(b) The keys of the Kingdom: Peter receives the keys of the Kingdom. The same power of binding and loosing is also given to the communities (Mt 18, 18) and to the other disciples (Jn 20, 23). One of the points in which the Gospel of Matthew insists more is reconciliation and pardon. It is one of the more important tasks of coordinators of the communities. By imitating Peter, they should bind and loosen, that is, do in such a way that there is reconciliation and reciprocal acceptance, construction of fraternity, even up to seventy times (Mt 18, 22).
• Matthew 16, 21-22: Jesus completes what was missing in Peter’s response, and Peter reacts. Jesus begins saying: “that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer very much on the part of the Elders, of the high priests and of the Scribes, and would be killed and on the third day, he would rise from the dead”. Saying that he had to go and would be killed, or that it was necessary to suffer, he indicated that suffering had been foreseen by the prophecies. The way of the Messiah is not only one of triumph and glory, but also one of suffering and of the cross! If Peter accepts Jesus as the Messiah and son of God, he has to accept him also as Messiah servant who will be killed. But Peter does not accept the correction of Jesus and tries to draw him away. Taking Jesus aside, he began to rebuke him: Heaven preserve you, Lord, this must not happen to you!”
• Matthew 16, 23: the response of Jesus to Peter: stumbling stone. The response of Jesus is surprising. Peter wanted to direct Jesus taking the initiative. Jesus reacts: “Get behind me, Satan. You are an obstacle in my path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do”. Peter has to follow Jesus, and not the contrary. Jesus is the one who gives the directions. Satan is the one who draws persons away from the road traced by Jesus. Once again the expression rock – pietra - appears, but now in the contrary sense. Peter, at one time is the supporting rock, at other times the stumbling rock! The communities at the time of Matthew were like that, characterized by ambiguity. This is the way we all are, according to what John Paul II said, that the Papacy itself, was characterized by the same ambiguity of Peter: rock of support for the faith and stumbling rock in the faith.
• At that time, the communities fostered a very strong affective bond of union with the leaders who had given origin to the community. For example, the communities of Antioch in Syria, fostered their relationship with Peter. Those of Greece, with Paul. Some communities of Asia, with the Beloved disciple and others with the person of John of the Apocalypse. An identification with these leaders to whom they owed their origin helped the communities to foster better their identity and spirituality. But this could also be a reason for dispute, like in the case of the community of Corinth (1 Co 1,11-12).
• Matthew 16, 13-16: The opinions of the people and of the Disciples concerning Jesus. Jesus asks the opinion of the people concerning his person, the Son of Man. The responses are varied: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, one of the Prophets. When Jesus asks the opinion of the Disciples, Peter becomes the spokesman and says: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” The response is not a new one. Before, the Disciples had said the same thing (Mt 14, 33). In John’s Gospel, the same profession of faith is made by Martha (Jn 11,27). It means that the prophecies of the Old Testament are realized in Jesus.
• Matthew 16, 17: The response of Jesus to Peter: "Blessed are you, Simon!” Jesus proclaims Peter “Blessed”, because he has received a revelation from the Father. Here, also, the response of Jesus is not new. Before, Jesus had praised the Father because he had revealed the Son to the little ones and not to the wise (Mt 11, 25-27) and had made the same proclamation of joy to the Disciples who were seeing and hearing new things which, before them, nobody knew nor had heard (Mt 13, 16).
• Matthew 16, 18-20: The attributions of Peter: To be rock and to receive the keys of the Kingdom.
(a) To be rock: Peter has to be Rock that is the stable basis for the Church in such a way that it can resist against the gates of hell. With these words which Jesus addressed to Peter, Matthew encourages the persecuted community of Syria and Palestine who see in Peter the leader who belongs to their origin. In spite of the persecution and the weakness, the community has a firm basis, guaranteed by the word of Jesus. The function of being rock based on faith evokes the word of God to the people in exile: “Listen to me you who pursue saving justice, you who seek Yahweh; consider the rock (pietra) from which you were hewn, the quarry from which you were dug; consider Abraham your father, and Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him, he was the only one, but I blessed him and made him numerous” (Is 51, 1-2). This indicates that a new beginning of the People of God is with Peter.
(b) The keys of the Kingdom: Peter receives the keys of the Kingdom. The same power of binding and loosing is also given to the communities (Mt 18, 18) and to the other disciples (Jn 20, 23). One of the points in which the Gospel of Matthew insists more is reconciliation and pardon. It is one of the more important tasks of coordinators of the communities. By imitating Peter, they should bind and loosen, that is, do in such a way that there is reconciliation and reciprocal acceptance, construction of fraternity, even up to seventy times (Mt 18, 22).
• Matthew 16, 21-22: Jesus completes what was missing in Peter’s response, and Peter reacts. Jesus begins saying: “that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer very much on the part of the Elders, of the high priests and of the Scribes, and would be killed and on the third day, he would rise from the dead”. Saying that he had to go and would be killed, or that it was necessary to suffer, he indicated that suffering had been foreseen by the prophecies. The way of the Messiah is not only one of triumph and glory, but also one of suffering and of the cross! If Peter accepts Jesus as the Messiah and son of God, he has to accept him also as Messiah servant who will be killed. But Peter does not accept the correction of Jesus and tries to draw him away. Taking Jesus aside, he began to rebuke him: Heaven preserve you, Lord, this must not happen to you!”
• Matthew 16, 23: the response of Jesus to Peter: stumbling stone. The response of Jesus is surprising. Peter wanted to direct Jesus taking the initiative. Jesus reacts: “Get behind me, Satan. You are an obstacle in my path, because you are thinking not as God thinks but as human beings do”. Peter has to follow Jesus, and not the contrary. Jesus is the one who gives the directions. Satan is the one who draws persons away from the road traced by Jesus. Once again the expression rock – pietra - appears, but now in the contrary sense. Peter, at one time is the supporting rock, at other times the stumbling rock! The communities at the time of Matthew were like that, characterized by ambiguity. This is the way we all are, according to what John Paul II said, that the Papacy itself, was characterized by the same ambiguity of Peter: rock of support for the faith and stumbling rock in the faith.
4) Personal questions
• Which are the opinions about Jesus
which exist in our community? These differences in the way of living and of
expressing faith, do they enrich the community or do they render the way more
difficult?
• What type of rock is our community? Which is the mission for us?
• What type of rock is our community? Which is the mission for us?
5) Concluding Prayer
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
sustain in me a generous spirit.
I shall teach the wicked your paths,
and sinners will return to you. (Ps 51, 12-13)
sustain in me a generous spirit.
I shall teach the wicked your paths,
and sinners will return to you. (Ps 51, 12-13)
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