Gospel – Matthew 16:13-20
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.
Reflection on the Gospel
Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.
This is a good time for me to thank our heavenly Father for including me among those who know that Jesus is the Son of the Living God.
Do I let this knowledge inform all my thoughts and actions?
The gates of the netherworld are powerful.
Yet they will not prevail if the children of the kingdom attempt to force them down so that the world God created will grow into what he desires for us
There is no more important time than now to try to bind the power of evil in our world.
Saint John Baptist de La Salle – Pray for us.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts – Forever.