Daily Reading
First Reading
1 Peter 5:1-4
Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it—not for sordid gain but eagerly. Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away.
Psalm
Psalm 23:1-3a, 4, 5, 6
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.
Gospel Reading
Matthew 16:13-19
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Reflection
Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus declares that Peter is the rock upon which he will build his Church.
The Church is built not on a worldly foundation but on a mystical foundation, born of Peter’s faith in the revealing God. The Church is neither democratic nor aristocratic—it is charismatic. And this is where its power comes from.
How has the Church managed to survive over the centuries? It is the oldest institution in the West, by far. Nations, empires, and institutions have come and gone, but the Church remains. The Church, founded on the rock of Peter, is strangely there. Well, we have it from Jesus himself: “The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”
Jesus then gives to Peter keys as a sign of his authority: “I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.” Chesterton commented on the keys, saying that they are strangely shaped and they are hard. The Church’s creed, elaborating upon the confession of Peter, is a strange and complex business; it is not something that would be contrived by the mind of human beings. And it is hard, unbending, unchanging—for its purpose is to open a very definite door.